Federal Government has urged Civil Society Organisations to provide inputs and suggestions that can help improve service delivery to Nigerians.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, made the call yesterday in Abuja during the Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement Forum.

Bagudu encouraged the civil society to use data supplied by the National Bureau of Statistics when gathering information on the government’s policies and programmes.

The minister observed that citizens’ engagement was an ongoing partnership, as the support from civil society would assist the government in delivering improved services at the ward level.

According to the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Taminu Yakubu, during a presentation on “The Role of Citizens in the Budget Preparatory Process,” the Nigerian Constitution empowers citizens and makes them the ultimate owners of public resources that influence the budgetary process.

He explained the budget cycle process and urged citizens to take a greater interest in its implementation, calling on Nigerians not to see themselves as mere spectators but as co-owners of the appropriation.

He clarified the simultaneous implementation of the 2024 and 2025 budgets, explaining that by extending the lifespan of the capital component of the 2024 appropriation law, both were being operated concurrently.

The Statistician General of the Federation and CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics, Adeyemi Adeniran, advised civil society groups to utilise NBS official data when making informed decisions, noting that the data were publicly available.