The Lagos State Government says it has disbursed N2.13 billion to 3,301 vulnerable residents in the last one year under the Eko Cares Financial Assistance Programme, aimed at strengthening 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.
He said the intervention was part of efforts to deepen inclusive governance, expand citizen engagement and cushion economic hardship among vulnerable groups across Lagos State.
According to him, beneficiaries include indigent residents, students, elderly citizens, persons living with disabilities, small business owners and vulnerable households.
“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 covers direct cash grants, educational support, payment of medical bills, housing assistance and business start-up interventions aimed at promoting economic inclusion.
He added that women, persons living with disabilities and the elderly remain priority groups under the intervention framework.
He also disclosed that the state government allocated N3.14 billion to the programme in the 2026 budget to ensure continuity of welfare interventions amid prevailing economic conditions.
The special adviser further noted that the Mother, Infant and Child Development Programme (MICHD) continued to improve maternal welfare across Lagos’ six health districts.
According to him, 2,315 pregnant women received nutritional support under the programme during the current cycle, bringing total beneficiaries since its launch in December 2020 to 8,595, with over N641 million spent on maternal support and nutrition.
He said the intervention had strengthened maternal healthcare awareness, increased antenatal attendance and reduced childbirth-related health risks in communities.
Mr. Tajudeen also disclosed that 20,000 food packs were distributed across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, reaching about 100,000 residents, including widows, elderly citizens, low-income households and persons with disabilities.
On civic engagement, he said 17,783 students across 17 schools were trained on governance, civic rights and public service during the review period, bringing cumulative beneficiaries of the civic education initiative to 25,671 students across 25 schools.
He added that 89,122 residents were reached through governance sensitisation and civic empowerment campaigns in underserved communities, while 78,750 participants took part in voter education programmes conducted in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.
According to him, advocacy tours across Lagos Central, Lagos East and Lagos West senatorial districts engaged traders, artisans, transport unions, youths and women groups on civic responsibility and government policies.
He also said quarterly town hall meetings with community development associations improved grassroots participation and feedback between residents and government.
The office, he added, facilitated mediation and conflict resolution sessions involving 34 groups, addressing issues such as land disputes, compensation matters, community tensions and agency-citizen conflicts.
Mr. Tajudeen further stated that 44 community champions were recruited to support civic awareness and mobilisation across the five IBILE divisions of the state.
On digital governance, he said the CitizensGate platform recorded over 750,000 registered users, with 120 Ministries, Departments and Agencies integrated into the system.
He noted that 620 feedback reports were received during the period, with 490 complaints resolved, representing an 83 per cent resolution rate.
He added that the platform provides services such as LASRRA pre-registration, LASHMA integration, social intervention registration and project monitoring through multiple digital channels, including web, mobile applications, WhatsApp, SMS and toll-free lines.
Mr. Tajudeen said CitizensGate media outreach also reached over 1.76 million people through radio and television 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 tracked the passage of eight bills into law.
He also noted that the 19th executive-legislative parley produced 29 resolutions covering governance, security, land reform, housing and citizen participation.
Looking ahead, he said the administration plans to increase CitizensGate users to one million, expand civic education programmes and intensify voter registration campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive and participatory governance.
