USAID State2State Organise Budget Performance Meeting for Kebbi Health Sector
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Stakeholders in Kebbi State’s health sector have identified steps to improve performance and monitoring in future budgets for health and other critical sectors.
This was the outcome of a two-day quarterly budget performance review meeting held at the Dankani Hotel, Sokoto. The meeting brought together the Kebbi State House of Assembly, health sector Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and other relevant partners. It was organised by USAID State2State in conjunction with UNICEF and the Kebbi State government.
In his welcome remarks, USAID State2State Kebbi State Team Leader, Usman Faleye, said, “the aim of the meeting was to ensure improvement in budget planning and performance of the health sector in the state.”
He added that the meeting aimed to analyse the first quarter’s budget performance and would be held quarterly.
USAID State2State Citizen Engagements and Capacity Building Consultant, Stephen John, presented the meeting objectives and the role of the legislature in reviewing in-year budget execution performance.
Representing the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Muhammad Usman Zuru, Honourable Muhammad Garba assured attendees that the assembly would “continue to support the ministry of health to deliver on the state government’s mandate.”
The Chairman, House Committee on Health, Muhammad Tukur, revealed that the Assembly did not reduce the health ministry’s budget. He enjoined the Ministry of Health to always work in tandem with the House Committee on Health for a harmonised working relationship.
Dr Shehu Nuhu Koko and Hajiya Aisha Usman, Permanent Secretaries, Ministry of Health and Budget and Economic Planning respectively, maintained that the meeting aimed to “strengthen the financial management of the Ministry of Health.”
The meeting also sought to monitor the budget performance review of the health sector, discuss challenges, and ensure an improved budget for health and other critical sectors in the state.
Presentations covered the Q1 BPR dashboard, the 2024 health sector budget versus the total approved budget, the importance of filing monthly expenditure returns, documenting quarterly budget performance, and the need for adequate “Health Budget Performance and Charge for Next Quarter.”
