The Nasarawa State Government has announced plans to establish security surveillance bases in each of its three senatorial districts to improve security across the state.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning, Hajiya Munira Abdullahi, during a citizens’ budget townhall meeting for the Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone, held on Wednesday in Keffi Local Government Area.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Polinus Wahe, the commissioner explained that the move was in response to calls from residents for enhanced security measures in the state.
She reiterated Governor Abdullahi Sule’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of all residents through proactive security strategies.
“The surveillance bases will be strategically located in security flashpoints within each senatorial zone and will be equipped with modern surveillance technology to enable intelligence-driven operations,” she said.
Abdullahi added that the state government would work closely with security agencies to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative.
While declaring the townhall open, she noted that the forum reflected the state’s commitment to inclusive governance and participatory budgeting.
“This year’s theme, ‘Fostering Collaboration on Resource Allocation Key to Participation in Governance’, speaks to our goal of ensuring that every citizen, regardless of background, has a voice in how government resources are distributed,” she said.
According to her, since Nasarawa State began citizen budget engagement, budgeting has become more inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people.
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“Budgeting is now a people-centred process where your voices and aspirations directly influence planning and implementation,” she said.
She urged participants to freely express the needs of their communities, assuring that their inputs would be reviewed and considered in the 2026 budget.
“Our goal is to build a budget that truly reflects the priorities of the people,” she added.
Also speaking, the Director of Budget, Mr Peter Akolo-Ataka, said the meeting brought together representatives from various groups across Keffi, Kokona, Karu, Nasarawa, and Toto LGAs. These included youth groups, women’s associations, faith-based organisations, farmers and traders, as well as civil society organisations.
To aid understanding, he said the ministry had provided an abridged version of the 2025 budget in both English and Hausa.
During the session, several participants commended the government’s efforts to involve citizens in the budget process, but urged it to follow through with implementation to meet community expectations.
Mr Mark Abu and Mr Yusuf Friday from Toto, Owa Jonah from Kokona, and Usman Abubakar from Nasarawa all highlighted the need for improved security and more infrastructure such as roads, healthcare, and schools in rural areas.
Mr Danladi Sulieman, a youth leader from Karu, called for more development attention for Karu due to its rapidly growing population and proximity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
