Writing by Khadijah Aliyu; Editing by Basirat Memudu
Stakeholders have converged in Kano to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the allocation, release, and utilization of immunization funds through the Kano State Health Budget Tracking engagement.
The meeting was organized by Save the Children International with funding support from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) under the Better Opportunities for Optimal Services and Targeted Immunization for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunized Children (BOOST) project, in collaboration with the Kano Community of Practice (CoP) on Immunization Budget Tracking Advocacy and Accountability.
In his welcome remarks, the BOOST Project Manager and Field Manager for Save the Children in Kano, Malam Abdullahi Magama, emphasized the need for participants to be proactive in identifying strategies to advocate for increased immunization funding.
He decried the inadequate immunization budget, stressing that sustained and strategic advocacy would significantly improve funding outcomes when stakeholders consistently speak up.
Speaking on the objectives of the meeting, the State Policy and Advocacy Officer of Save the Children in Kano, Umar Ibrahim Unar, said the engagement aimed to review, analyze, and validate the health and immunization budget tracking data.
He added that the validated data would be used to update the 2025 scorecard with accurate figures, identify existing gaps, develop actionable recommendations, and disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders for improved accountability.
Umar noted that one of the major accountability gaps remains access to timely and accurate data. “If you are looking for information, you cannot just go to one place and harness your data. You have to go around to different sources”.
The CoP Co-Chair, Comrade Salisu Yusuf, provided an update on the 2025 budget tracking baseline data collection process, including planning meetings, stakeholder engagement with data managers, data sourcing, management, analysis, monitoring, and feedback mechanisms.
He disclosed that 15 zero-dose Local Government Areas (LGAs) were identified through a national survey.
Also speaking, the Kano CoP Focal Person, Dr. Musa Bello, highlighted key 2025 health and immunization budget tracking indicators, including the total approved health sector budget in absolute figures, total allocation to the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board (KNSPHCMB), total budget allocated to immunization, and the approved amount for Routine Immunization (RI), among others.
Participants at the engagement were drawn from civil society organizations (CSOs), the media, and other relevant stakeholders under the Kano CoP framework, all reaffirming their commitment to strengthening immunization financing and accountability mechanisms in the state.
