The Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), a civic organisation committed to accountability and good governance, has trained dozens of young people and stakeholders in Kwara State on budget evaluation and monitoring.

The capacity-building workshop, themed " Fostering Inclusive Economic Just Recoveries in Kwara State, Nigeria" , was held in Ilorin, the state capital.

Ramat Owolabi, Executive Director of BBYDI, said the training was designed to equip citizens with the knowledge and tools to understand, monitor, and influence government budget processes, thereby strengthening evidence-based advocacy and civic oversight.

She explained that the programme also promotes inclusive and transparent taxation, while encouraging active citizen participation in tracking public revenue and expenditure.

" It tackles critical areas of governance how government generates its resources and how it spends them," Owolabi added.

The initiative aims to deepen public engagement in fiscal accountability and support more responsive and responsible governance in Kwara.

One of the facilitators, Salihu Ayatullah, in his presentation entitled " Understanding Budget Processes in Kwara State," described the budget as a guide for income, expenditure, and priority-setting. He emphasised its importance for government planning, accountability, and service delivery.

Ayatullah, identified Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), federal allocation, levies, grants, and loans as key revenue sources for Government, even as he further outlined the four stages of budgeting – preparation, approval, implementation, and evaluation. He encouraged citizens to pay their taxes and actively monitor allocations to ensure funds meant for critical sectors such as health and infrastructure are not diverted or mismanaged.

Another facilitator, Abdullateef Alagbonsi, a Professor and Director of Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetTSuD), delivered a presentation on " Budget Performance, Analysis, and Evidence-Based Advocacy." via zoom.

He stressed the centrality of data in budget analysis, describing it as essential tool that drives emotion, accountability and economic transformation.

Alagbonsi urged participants to critically examine government budgets, make constructive observations, and provide feedback to ensure that public funds address citizens' needs.

Similarly, Sanni Alausa-Issa, BBYDI' s Director of Communications, took participants through practical sessions on "Using Citizens' Scorecards to Monitor Budget." He trained them on critical thinking, effective budget assessment, and constructive criticism.

Delivering a goodwill message, Dare Abdulganiyu, the Kwara State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), described the initiative as both timely and essential.

" As an organ of government, NOA is mandated to communicate policies, mobilise citizen buy-in, and promote ethics, patriotism, and national development while relaying citizens' feedback to government. And truly, there is no greater tool for achieving these goals than an informed and engaged citizenry," he said.

He noted that the budget is not just a financial document but a social contract and a reflection of Government priorities.

" Equipping our youth and citizens with the skills to analyze and interrogate this document is fundamental to fostering the transparency and accountability we all desire," Abdulganiyu added.

He expressed optimism that the workshop would yield innovative strategies for citizen engagement and strengthen democratic accountability, just as he commended BBYDI for its leadership and grassroots engagement, noting that its work complements NOA' s efforts to bridge the gap between government and the governed.

" This holistic approach is key to building a system that is truly accountable to its people," he stated.