The Sokoto State Government has set aside about N10 billion to renovate and refurbish 244 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) as part of a measure to improve the health sector in the state.
A budget analyst from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Development, Sokoto State, Bashir Ahmad Abubakar, stated this during the Sokoto Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) quarterly meeting organised by USAID State2State.
Bashir further explained that the government is planning to acquire a Toyota Hilux which will be used in monitoring and supervision of activities in these primary health centres.
“The renovation will gulp over N6 billion which includes full installation of solar-powered lights in all the primary health centres,” Abubakar said.
He added that the amount was part of the supplementary budget prepared by the state governor for onward transmission to the State House of Assembly.
Earlier in his remarks, the Local Government Manager of State2State in Sokoto, Abdullahi Shagari, commended CSOs for their contributions and handling of their activities in the state.
Shagari said the meeting aimed to review the activities of the government and to get feedback from the societies on some of these activities in terms of identified project implementation.
He said the USAID State2State will support the state CSOs in activating the community development projects tracking template tools.
The Chairman of the coalition of NGOs in Sokoto State, Bello Shehu Gwadabawa also commended USAID State2State for its support for the organisations which he said has led to the success recorded so far.
“We identified some communities within the five pioneer local governments, had a chat with the people of those communities and identified their needs from the government,” he said.
Gwadabawa added that the organisation has submitted those needs to the state government for inclusion into the budget for implementation.
