The Lagos State government says it disbursed  N2.13 billion to 3,301 vulnerable residents in the last one year under the Eko Cares Financial Assistance Programme to strengthen social welfare and grassroots support across the state.

The special adviser to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on political, legislative and civic engagement, Dr Afolabi Tajudeen, disclosed this on Monday during the 2026 ministerial press briefing in Ikeja.

Mr Tajudeen said the intervention formed part of the government’s efforts to deepen inclusive governance, expand citizen engagement and cushion economic hardship among vulnerable groups.

According to him, the beneficiaries include indigent residents, students, elderly citizens, persons living with disabilities, small business owners and vulnerable households across Lagos.

“The Eko Cares initiative remains one of the flagship social intervention programmes of this administration.

“In the current cycle alone, 3,301 residents benefited from various forms of assistance, while cumulative beneficiaries since 2020 have increased to 11,991 households.

“Total disbursement under the programme has now exceeded N4.6 billion,” he said.

Mr Tajudeen said the programme covered direct cash grants, educational support, payment of medical bills, housing assistance and business start-up interventions aimed at promoting economic inclusion.

“Women, persons with disabilities and the elderly remain priority beneficiary groups under the intervention,” he said.

He disclosed that the state government allocated N3.14 billion to the programme in the 2026 budget to ensure sustainability of welfare interventions amid prevailing economic realities.

The special adviser also said the Mother, Infant and Child Development Programme (MICHD) had continued to improve maternal welfare across the six health districts in the state.

According to him, 2,315 pregnant women received nutritional support during the current cycle of the programme.

He said that since its launch in December 2020, the programme had reached 8,595 cumulative beneficiaries, with government spending exceeding N641 million on nutritional produce and maternal support.

“The intervention has strengthened maternal healthcare awareness, promoted antenatal attendance and reduced childbirth-related health risks in communities,” he said.

Mr Tajudeen further said the state government distributed 20,000 food packs across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

He noted that the intervention directly impacted about 100,000 residents, particularly widows, elderly citizens, low-income households and persons living with disabilities.

On civic engagement, the special adviser said the office intensified civic education and governance sensitisation programmes across schools and communities.

He disclosed that 17,783 students across 17 schools were educated on governance, civic rights and public service during the review period.

According to him, cumulative beneficiaries of the civic education initiative have risen to 25,671 students across 25 schools statewide.

“The programmes utilise storytelling, arts, book readings and interactive sessions to educate students on governance, civic duties, Child Rights Law and anti-kidnapping laws,” he said.

Mr Tajudeen said that 89,122 residents were also engaged through governance sensitisation and civic empowerment campaigns in underserved communities.

On voter education, he disclosed that 78,750 participants were reached through advocacy tours and civic outreach programmes organised in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.

“The programmes are designed to promote informed political participation, accountability and inclusive governance ahead of future elections,” he said.

Mr Tajudeen added that the office organised advocacy campaigns across Lagos Central, Lagos East and Lagos West senatorial districts, engaging traders, artisans, transport unions, youths and women groups on civic responsibility and government policies.

He said quarterly town hall meetings with community development associations and community development committees also strengthened grassroots participation and improved feedback between residents and government.

The special adviser disclosed that the office facilitated mediation and conflict resolution sessions involving 34 groups during the review period.

According to him, the disputes addressed included land matters, compensation issues, community tensions and agency-citizen conflicts.

He added that 44 community champions were onboarded to drive civic awareness and grassroots mobilisation across the five IBILE divisions of the state.

On digital governance, Mr Tajudeen said the CitizensGate platform recorded more than 750,000 registered users, with 120 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) integrated into the system.

He said the platform received 620 feedback reports during the current cycle, with 490 complaints and enquiries successfully resolved, representing an 83 per cent resolution rate.

According to him, CitizensGate currently provides services such as LASRRA pre-registration, LASHMA portal integration, social intervention registration and project monitoring systems through web platforms, mobile applications, WhatsApp, SMS and toll-free lines.

Mr Tajudeen said CitizensGate radio and television programmes also reached more than 1.76 million listeners and viewers through multilingual broadcasts in English, Yoruba and Pidgin.

On legislative engagement, he said the office attended 28 plenary sessions of the Lagos State House of Assembly and monitored the successful passage of eight bills into law.

He added that the 19th executive-legislative parley produced 29 resolutions on governance, security, land reform, housing and citizen participation.

Speaking on future plans, he said the office aimed to increase CitizensGate users to one million, expand civic education programmes and intensify voter registration campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The Sanwo-Olu administration remains committed to participatory governance, inclusive development and ensuring that every resident feels connected to government policies and interventions,” he said.

(NAN)