As 2022 inches out to reveal 2023, the ritual of preparing for a new year is on. Many individuals, organizations, and even governments are involved in the annual exercise of preparing budgets to act as guide to achieving their goals. To this end, Lagos State has drawn up its own.

Christened ‘the Budget of Continuity’ Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presented the 2023 Appropriation Bill of N1,692 trillion to the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday, October 29.

On how to spend it, Lagos has allocated 20.06 percent of the budget or N339 billion to infrastructure. Surely, with massive construction all across the state, this sum would go a long way to completing some, initiating others as well as maintaining the rest. Amid various ongoing projects across the state, Lagos would begin its metro operation next year, with the Red and Blue lines from Agbada to CMS and Okokomaiko to CMS routes. With the ability to move half a million passengers daily, the metro would be a game changer to the particularly chaotic transportation scenario in the state.

“I am delighted to announce that we are on the cusp of successfully birthing a fully functional light rail system in the metropolis,” said a stoked Sanwo-Olu as presented the budget to the Lagos State Assembly

“This is the first project of its kind, fully funded, by a sub-national government, anywhere in the world. The Lagos Blue and Red lines are scheduled to commence commercial operations next year. The combination of both rail lines will reduce the daily commute time of millions of Lagosians from 2.5hrs to 30 mins, significantly enhancing productivity and improving quality of life.”

It should be noted that Lagos facilitated more than $600m in investment into the recently commissioned Lekki Deep Sea Port, which has thrice the capacity of Apapa Port. Recently, the state also got federal government approval for the development of the Badagry Deep Sea Port.

To cater to healthcare and the environment, the budget has allocated N191 billion, representing 11.29 percent. The talk that health is wealth is a truism. And it should come as a relief that with this figure, it is projected that government hospitals and health centers as well as medical staff can continue to provide qualitative healthcare services to all residents from the 26 registered General Hospitals and 256 public healthcare centers across Lagos. To say Lagos delivers the best healthcare system among all the states in the country would be repeating the obvious.

Lagos also plans to spend 9.07 percent of the budget or N153.5 billion on education. This is to consolidate the gains of previous investments in the educational sector. It should be remembered that students in the state achieved an 82 percent pass rate in the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, a staggering increase from 39 percent in 2019 when the Sanwo-Olu administration came on board. While this is still a far cry from the UN recommended budgetary allocation to education, it is commendable that Lagos is not resting on its laurels.

For its social housing program and provision of amenities across the state, the state has earmarked 3.98 percent of the budget or N67.4 billion to that effect. And to ensure that Lagos which is relatively safe compared to other parts of the country becomes safer, Sanwo-Olu’s administration is raising the budgetary allocation to public order and safety to 4.78 percent. This would ensure the safety of lives and property.

Touted as the Centre of Excellence, Lagos has continually grappled with attracting other Nigerians via rural-urban migration drift. What is the implication of this? No matter how much it plans, the chances of having more residents in the state increase with each passing year. This translates to a yearly burden of projecting provisions regarding housing, education, healthcare, transportation, security, social welfare, entertainment, and other public goods and services for an ever-increasing population.

Already, experts have lauded the budget, especially its commitment to devoting a larger half to capital projects. It is interesting to note that 55 percent or N932.7 billion of the Lagos State 2023 Appropriation Bill is dedicated to capital expenditure while 45 percent or N759.96 billion is slated to be recurrent expenditure. To those not too familiar with the jargon, it simply means Lagos is doing more investing in capital projects. For the over 20 million residents of the state, this can be nothing but good news.

It is impressive that Sanwo-Olu has performed very well to the point where even some members of opposition parties support him. But he is not resting on his oars. According to the governor, good governance would be scaled up through the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.

“This Budget of Continuity will propel Lagos to the next fiscal level and economic growth,” Sanwo-Olu said to the lawmakers.

“Another significant moment beckons in the life of our administration; it is the culmination of a tenure dedicated to achieving a Greater Lagos, and the start of a new one dedicated to unlocking a higher level of growth and prosperity for our people. Next year, we will aggressively focus on completing ongoing projects, while also expanding our social intervention programs and support for citizens, and for micro and small businesses. The budget will offer us an opportunity to consolidate on all we have been doing towards satisfying the yearnings and aspirations of the people.”

Well said. But discerning individuals understand the sort of challenges Lagos faces, especially regarding revenue generation. According to the budget, the state would get N1.343 trillion from Internally Generated Revenues and federal transfers, while it would source the remaining N350 billion from external loans and bonds.

While some critics have faulted the borrowing, it should be known that Lagos grapples with many unforeseen contingencies being the state hardest hit by rural-urban migration. For this, it needs all the revenue it can get. Truth be told, creating more revenue is germane to the survival of an economy like Lagos. And Governor Sanwo-Olu reminded the lawmakers of that fact, restating his demand that Lagos be accorded a special status.

“Lagos continues to experience increased pressure on social services due to unhindered migration from other parts of the country,” he said to the lawmakers.

“It is for this reason that I always sought and I will still continue to reiterate the need for Lagos to be accorded a special status as a national asset.

“Lagos is too big for this country to allow it to fail. Lagos is too strategic for us not to see it that the wholesome of Lagos is the wholesome of this country, that the benefits of Lagos transcend one region, one part, or one scope of this country.

“As a microsome of the entire country, Lagos deserves all the support it can get at the national level.”

Till Lagos gets the special recognition it rightly deserves, every resident must step in to play their part.

How can we support Lagos to become better? We can be good citizens by respecting laws and orders, paying our taxes, and striving to do the right things all the time. Together, Lagos will be greater.