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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
To deliver good governance to the people of Kaduna State in line with the SUSTAIN manifesto, the Kaduna State Government has convened a three-day retreat for top government functionaries to review the Kaduna Mutual Accountability Framework (KMAF) State Development Plan (SDP) and Sector Implementation Plan (SIP) 2021-2025.
The main objective of the retreat held at a hotel in Abuja, the Nigeria seat of power on 27-29 November 2023 was to align government priorities and integrate Governor Uba Sani’s SUSTAIN manifesto into the SDP, SIP, and Local Government Development Plan (LGDP).
During day one of the three-day retreat, the Kaduna State deputy governor, secretary to the state government, chief of staff, commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors, the leadership of the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCDO), and some members of civil society organisations dialogue and reviewed the second KMAF which is expected to be signed by the state government and FCDO anytime soon.
IKMAF, SDP, SIP, and LGOP are key to the realisation of Uba Sani’s 7-point agenda otherwise known as SUSTAIN (Security and Safety, Upgrade of infrastructure, Strengthening institutions, Trade and investment Agriculture, Investing in human capital and Nurturing citizens engagement) manifesto.
Making a goodwill speech at the opening of the retreat, the FCDO Development Director, Dr. Christopher Pycroft said he was impressed by the progress made on the K-MAF despite restricted FCDO presence in the state due to security challenges.
According to him, “the decision of the State to hold this strategic dialogue in Abuja demonstrates the state’s continued commitment to this important initiative – the Mutual Accountability Framework – and underscores the value of the long-standing relationship that exists between the UK and Kaduna State.
“The KMAF is an important initiative, not just in terms of building a long-term sustainable relationship between the government and people of Kaduna and His Majesty’s Government (HMG), UK; but also serves as a means of driving development and providing services to the people of the state.
“KMAF presents an opportunity to strengthen Donor activity by streamlining development initiatives to fully optimise efforts being made by the government to revamp key sectors of the State’s economy.
“The MAF will also contribute significantly to the achievement of Governor Uba’s priorities as detailed in his SUSTAIN manifesto.
“Through the MAF we have made good progress – particularly in health, education, and some core governance areas (including domestic resource mobilisation)”, he said.
Having commended the progress made so far, the FCDO man who has spent 20 years in Africa identified the delay in passing the 2024 budget as one of the challenges in the political and economic reforms in the State.
“In recent years, FCDO through PERL has provided immense technical support to optimise budgetary processes and today we commit to supporting the state to maintain the trajectory established over the past 8 years”, he said.
Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe restated the current administration’s commitment to enhancing governance and service delivery to its people through a robust state development plan and specific sector development plan that will articulate the SUSTAIN manifesto of the administration.
“The FCDO which is one of our major donors has played a significant role in bridging the financial gap in system strengthening in Kaduna State despite the financial difficulties that faced a lot of countries as a result of COVID-19.
“We will continue to do more for the benefit of the good people of Kaduna State. We recognised that there have been challenges and we also believed that these are not issues we cannot surmount.
“This administration is investing heavily in the provision of an enabling environment for the private sector. The state has also prioritise investment in health, education, and agriculture among others which will translate into physical development.
“Our commitment to the people of Kaduna State is contained in the SUSTAIN manifesto and we will ensure that service delivery reaches our people in well-coordinated and efficient manners.
“We will continue to adhere to the principle of transparency and accountability as we consolidate improved democracy and increase the confidence of the electorate,” she promised.
