The United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the capacity of Local Government Councils in Kaduna State to enhance public financial management and improve service delivery, particularly in critical sectors affecting children, women and vulnerable groups.
UNICEF Health Specialist, Kaduna Field Office, Dr. Idris Baba, gave the assurance at the opening of a three-day sensitisation, advocacy and capacity-building workshop organized by the Kaduna state ministry of Planning and Budget Commission in collaboration with UNICEF on Public Financial Management PFM for the 23 Local Government Chairmen and members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
The workshop is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of public financial management principles, strengthen resource mobilisation and promote efficient budgeting and accountability at the grassroots.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Dr. Baba described the workshop as timely, coming at a critical period when preparations for the 2027 budget have commenced.
He said the programme would equip local government leaders with practical knowledge on planning, budgeting and financial management to ensure that priorities in health, education and social services are adequately reflected in the 2027 budgets.
According to him, local governments remain the closest tier of government to the people, making them central to translating government policies into meaningful development outcomes.
Dr. Baba stressed that efficient planning, prudent allocation and proper utilisation of public resources would ultimately result in better services and improved opportunities for children, women and communities.
He noted that one of the major objectives of the workshop was to identify existing gaps in public financial management while exploring practical strategies for improving resource mobilisation to enable local governments deliver quality services to citizens.
The UNICEF Health Specialist recalled that a similar capacity-building programme had earlier been organised for members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, describing the current workshop as another milestone in strengthening governance and accountability at the local government level.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Mallam Mahmud Lawal, commended UNICEF for partnering with the Kaduna State Government to strengthen fiscal governance across the 23 local government councils.
He said the workshop coincided with the issuance of the 2027 Local Government Budget Call Circular and would enable council chairmen prepare realistic, transparent and development-driven budgets capable of improving basic service delivery and reducing poverty.
Mallam Lawal urged the chairmen to prioritise fiscal discipline, realistic revenue projections, prudent expenditure management and investments in high-impact sectors such as primary healthcare, education, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and social protection.
He explained that Kaduna State had continued to implement key public financial management reforms, including the adoption of the National Chart of Accounts, harmonised budget preparation guidelines, improved financial reporting and stronger accountability mechanisms aimed at ensuring greater value for public expenditure.
Representing the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, the Permanent Secretary, Mukhtar Abdullahi, described effective public financial management as the foundation of good governance, noting that transparent and accountable management of public resources was essential for sustainable development at the grassroots.
He thanked UNICEF for its technical and financial support, saying the partnership would ensure adequate financing of critical sectors that directly improve the wellbeing of children and vulnerable populations.
Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Planning and Budget, Honorable Peter Agite, urged participants to take full advantage of the training and apply the knowledge gained in their legislative and oversight responsibilities.
He emphasised that lawmakers must make informed decisions that guarantee increased funding for health, education and other essential services, adding that stronger public financial management would translate into improved living conditions for the people of Kaduna State.
The three-day workshop features 13 core objectives centred on strengthening participants’ understanding of public financial management systems, the regulatory and institutional framework guiding local government finances, and the effective utilisation of public resources to deliver quality services across Kaduna State.
Cov/Shindong Bala
