The Sokoto state government in Nigeria has affirmed its dedication to collaborating with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State2State Activity to ensure the effective implementation of the 2024 budget, particularly focusing on the health, education, and WASH sectors.
Dr. Bashir Achida, the Economic Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor, reiterated this commitment during the 2024 budget profiling and cash planning workshop held in Sokoto.
Dr. Achida lauded the initiatives of State2State in organising the training session for state government officials, aimed at ensuring the proper execution of the 2024 budget, particularly emphasising the health, education, and WASH sectors.
He emphasised that the training aligned with Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s 9-point smart agenda for the state’s development, underscoring its role in integrating this agenda into the budget for effective execution.
“This training would facilitate the efforts of government to streamline the 9-points smart agenda in to the budget to ensure proper implementation,” Dr. Achida remarked. He added, “I’m happy USAID state2state is helping with the training to equip government planning and finance officers with the basic know-how to be able to carry out the responsibility deligently at their various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for sustainable development in the state.”
The Economic Adviser assured participants that the government would follow up after the training to enhance measures for the effective implementation of the 2024 budget across various MDAs.
In his address, Mr. Buhari Umar, the Director of Budget at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, emphasised that the training was initiated by the state government to orient newly appointed officials within various MDAs due to transitions.
Mr. Umar highlighted his point, stating, “We are proactive in reaching to our partners like state2state to assist in the area of bringing those officials that are new on the same page with the prevailing system of cash management.”
He commended USAID State2State for its consistent support in Sokoto State to enhance public and financial management across all sectors covered in the MDAs’ budgets.
Mr. Usman Faleye, a Public Financial Management Specialist with USAID State2State, highlighted that the workshop aimed to collaborate with the state to profile the budget and plan the implementation process comprehensively, providing insights into the budget’s expenditure nature.
Faleye added that the training would empower government officials to monitor, project, and actualise expenditure based on revenue profiles effectively.
“With effective profiling, a sector is well positioned to know expectations at all levels of implementation and understand whether there is a need for adjustment,” Mr. Faleye emphasised. He also stated that budget implementation transcends mere instruments, as it involves conceptualization frameworks, coordination, realistic budget and revenue bases, and commitments for effective execution.
He concluded, stating that the training offers an avenue to reshape the narrative by ensuring proper monitoring of budget implementation across various MDAs in the state.