Local Government Budget Officers have been charged to focus on evidence based planning,cost efficiency and value for money in public expenditure.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Mr. Babatunde Olaoye gave the charge while declaring open a two-day workshop organized by his Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning on the preparation of 2026 budget in line with the National Chart Of Accounts (NCOA) in Ado Ekiti.
The PS emphasised that the Workshop aimed at enhancing and equipping the capacity of LG Budget Officials to ensure efficient service delivery, noting that budget preparation should be in line with NCOA template.
He stressed that template gives the enablement to prepare the budget in a standardized classification system that would promote uniformity, comparability and credibility in public financial management across all tiers of government that is globally acceptable.
Olaoye revealed that NCOA is a new system of budget preparation in line with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, describing a well prepared data driven budget that would remain cornerstone of effective governance and sustainable development.
The PS stated that the workshop was designed to provide perequisite knowledge and practical tools needed to prepare the 2026 fiscal year budget in conformity with the NCOA template.
He commended the Governor for the approval of the fund for the workshop, describing him as a unifier, jinx breaker and workers friendly Governor .
ln his address, the Director for Local Affairs Department, Mr. Olusola Ogunlade said the Workshop was carefully designed to build the capacities of the budget officials on their roles in budget formulation and implementation process at the local level.
He emphasized that the goal of the workshop was to produce budgets that are not only compliant with national standard but also realistic , people oriented and development driven, urging the participants to be active and make judicious use of the Workshop at work.
One of the Facilitators who also doubles as the PS Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Olusola Akinluyi shed light on the topic: Promoting fiscal discipline in budget process and conceptual framework.
Responding, one of the Participants Mr. Olusesan Aina lauded the government and facilitators for the timely workshop, noting the initiative would enhance their productivity and performance at work.
He stressed that such trainings gave Ekiti State the utmost position in the hierarchy of budget performance in the Country, believing that the shared knowledge being passed through quality facilitators would also do same