The Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday concluded its 2025 Mid-Year Budget Performance appraisal with a call for increased clarity and accountability on the activities of the World Bank-funded Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP).
At the final session held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ministry of Budget and Planning appeared before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to give an account of its performance so far.
Committee Chairman, Hon. Musefiu Lamidi, who led the session, commended the ministry for its overall budget performance but stressed the urgent need for increased release of funds for capital projects to ensure impactful governance.
Lamidi, flanked by other lawmakers including Hon. Yusuf Amosun, Hon. Babatunde Tella, Hon. Folawewo Salami and the Minority Leader, Hon. Lukman Adeleye, particularly raised concerns about the level of implementation and transparency of OGSTEP, a key development programme domiciled in the ministry.
In response, Mrs. Olufunke Salami, who represented OGSTEP at the session, explained that the project is a strategic initiative supported by the World Bank.
According to her, OGSTEP is designed to accelerate the State’s economic transformation by focusing on interventions in agriculture, education, industry, trade, and investment.
Salami noted that the programme aims to improve service delivery and strengthen institutional frameworks across key sectors, adding that the project’s objectives are being pursued in line with World Bank procedures and monitoring standards.
The lawmakers, however, insisted on the need for more detailed and transparent updates, especially on disbursement of funds, impact assessments, and project timelines to ensure the state derives maximum benefit from the multilateral funding.
