In a bid to enhance local government administration and agricultural development, the Yobe State government has announced a strategic partnership with the Moroccan government, initiated during a visit by a Yobe State delegation to Rabat, Morocco, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali.
The partnership was facilitated through the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA), where the delegation met with UCLGA Secretary General Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi to discuss funding mechanisms for local development projects in Yobe State.
According to a statement released by the Director General of Press and Media Affairs to the Yobe State Governor, Mamman Mohammed, the projects will be financed through the African Forum for Decentralised Cooperation (FACDI).
Under this arrangement, FACDI will provide 60% of the funding, while the Moroccan government will contribute 20%, and the benefiting local governments in Yobe State will provide 10% in-kind contributions, including land.
Mbassi highlighted the potential for local governments to address critical challenges such as climate change, desertification, and flooding through this partnership.
Speaking on behalf of the Yobe State government, Baba Malam Wali emphasised plans to leverage capacity-building opportunities for local government staff through the College of Administration, Management, and Technology (CAMTEC) in Potiskum.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu Jajere said, the partnership aims to empower local government councils to take a proactive role in administration, development and to ensure that local councils deliver efficient services to the people.
RN