Barely 24 hours after the presentation of the ₦1,668,997,993,125.44 year 2026 appropriation bill by the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, titled: the Budget of Sustainable Legacy", to the State House of Assembly, the bill has scaled second reading as members engaged in extensive deliberation on the fiscal proposal.

The debate on the appropriation bill followed the motion moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Musefiu Lamidi, seconded by Hon. Wahab Haruna and supported by the whole House through a voice vote.

Leading the debate on the appropriation bill, Hon. Lamidi noted that the budget was a testament to the shared commitment of the current administration in ensuring continuity, consolidation, and responsible governance.

" It reflects the collective aspiration of our people for sustained development, effective service delivery and an economy that continues to expand opportunities for all.

Honourable colleagues, the Budget of Sustained Legacy has been carefully designed to achieve five major objectives: To sustain and complete strategic infrastructure projects that stimulate investment, ease transportation, and support economic competitiveness.

He added that the appropriation bill would strengthen the social sector, particularly education, healthcare and social welfare, ensuring citizens have the quality services; stating that it would help empower youth and grow jobs, by enabling innovation, entrepreneurship and private-sector–led expansion.

According to him, the next year budget would help "deepen public financial management reforms, promoting transparency, accountability, and value for money across all MDAs; ensure equitable distribution of development across all zones of our dear State, so that no community is left behind". 

"This fiscal proposal, Mr. Speaker, is aligned with our long-term development agenda. It seeks to consolidate gains from previous years while positioning the State for future growth. 

It also demonstrates the Executive’s commitment to prudent spending, revenue optimisation, and sustainable debt management—all of which are crucial to maintaining the financial health of Ogun State.

Our task as legislators is to examine this budget with fairness, clarity, and depth. And as Chairman of the Finance and Appropriation Committee, I assure this Honourable House that we will carry out a thorough review at the Committee stage, engage all relevant MDAs diligently, and ensure that every allocation reflects genuine development needs.

However, while we commit to deep scrutiny, we must also recognise the importance of timely passage. The people of Ogun State expect stable governance and uninterrupted execution of critical projects. Delays can hinder progress, and progress is the very essence of this budget.

Therefore, Honourable colleagues, I respectfully urge this House to support the Second Reading of the Budget of Sustained Legacy, allowing us to advance to the next stage of detailed review, stakeholder engagement, and responsible appropriation", he stated.

All the other lawmakers supported his position, with a commendation to the Governor for his relentless efforts at repositioning the State for socio-economic developments.

The lawmakers urged the State government to ensure that all projects listed in the next fiscal year to be evenly distributed, especially the rural and border communities to advance more developments at the grassroots level.

They also requested increase in release of funds to critical sectors like health, agriculture and public order and safety for improved health facilities, enhance food security and strengthening security within communities in the State.

The lawmakers lauded the State government for promoting accountability and transparency to promote economic stability and aid all round developments.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, appreciated the Governor for the fiscal proposal and urged lawmakers to prioritise their core mandate of robust oversight to ensure all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are properly monitored to ensure that the budget is implemented to the letter.

He emphasised the need for clear sectoral performance indicators to strengthen accountability and ensure effective evaluation of government programmes across the State.

The subsequent adoption of the debate was done through motion for its adoption moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, seconded by Honorable Lukman Adeleye, and suppoted by the entire members; while the Speaker committed the appropriation bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for further legislative actions.