Sokoto, USAID Prepare 2024 Budget Profile, Cash Plan

To ensure efficiency, Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has organised a three-day workshop in collaboration with USAID State2State on budget profiling and cash planning.

The workshop involving sectoral planning leads from the education, health, and WASH sectors, USAID implementing partners, governance advisor, and E-WASH experts, is to bring out the best in the staff of the ministry.

In his remarks, USAID State2State Public Financial Management specialist, Usman Faleye, emphasized that the training becomes necessary as a result of the transition of the new government in the state, hence the need to train staff on critical departments’ aims and objectives of the new administration.

Faleye said the workshop is targeted to ensure that capacity building is maintained and streamlined for the betterment of the state.

“Aside from profiling the budget, the workshop is to actualize budget implementation and as well, coordinate the budget and achieve government commitment to the people.

“It is good to know that every equipment of a government is contained in a budget and proper implementation of the budget is central to the process of improving the welfare of the people,” he stated.

Sokoto State government special adviser on economic matters, Dr Bashir Muhammad Achida, posited that “the training is to streamline the agenda of the government into the 2024 budget as presented.”

“The budget document is a very sensitive document that requires proper implementation as well as expertise to ensure it is implemented properly.

“The workshop will improve the capacity of the staff of the ministry in discharging their duties. At the economic office, we are to ensure that we get value for money. Every money must count and the value is seen,” he said.

There were presentations on budget profiling, illustrations of use of Excel budget profiling templates, presentations on cash management, presentations and discussions by each sector lead.