USAID Project Solicits More Budgetary Allocation to Health, Education Sectors

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Project “State2State” has urged sokoto state government to always ensure more and effective implementation of budgetary allocation to health and education sectors for sustainable development in the state.

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The USAID State2State Financial Management Specialist, Mr Usman Faleye, made the plea shortly after observing budget defence of ministries of health and education at the state assembly in sokoto state.

According to Faleye, “All hands must be on deck especially relevant stakeholders to ensure more funds are allocated to the two sectors particularly in the 2024 budget.”

He said the allocation of fifteen percent (15%) of the total budget to education, with eleven point-five percent 11.48 allocated to health is below the general standard for health and educational institutions in the country.

He added that the organization used the opportunity of the budget defence to seeks for the state assembly’s support in ensuring that more allocation needs to be pushed to the health sector before the passage of the 2024 budget.

Faleye further explained that the organization hope that the state assembly, the agencies and the general public might review the budget before it’s passage to at least fifteen percent or more.

The Financial Management Specialist also called for the review of WASH budget allocation from seven percent (7%) to at about ten percent (10%) which he said is the global standard.

In a related development, a quarterly engagement meeting was held by the organization for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Officers of ministries, departments and agencies in sokoto state.

In her remarks, the State2State Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist, Ejiro Okotie, said the review meeting was organised to know the progress report including challenges limiting the performance of the desk and GESI officers in the state.

She noted that it was also to review progress on preparation of 2024 budget process including ministries, departments and agencies participatory budget mechanism.

“The engagement is to review GESI responsiveness of the individual ministries, departments and agencies 2024 budget proposal.

“Strengthening desk officers in coordinating and reporting their activities for effective way forward,” she said.