The USAID Nigeria State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity recently held a 3-day workshop in Abakaliki.
The workshop aimed at enhancing government’s capacity to plan and budget, increase revenue generation, enhance responsiveness to citizens’ needs and priorities, manage conflicts, and oversee service delivery in various sectors, including health, education, water, sanitation, and hygiene.
During the workshop, Dr. Godwin Ibe, a public finance consultant, emphasized the significance of government-led projects. He stressed that the USAID Nigeria State2State is committed to assisting in the development of their Medium-Term Sector Strategy, facilitating efficient project execution and monitoring.
Dr. Ibe pointed out that due to limited resources, the government has been prioritizing projects for execution in identified sectors.
To ensure effective monitoring, Dr. Ibe highlighted the need for a sector planning team with members representing diverse backgrounds, notably including members from the State House of Assembly.
In another presentation by Ejiro Okotie, a Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist, emphasized the importance of considering the impact of government revenue generation on various demographic groups, including women, men, youth, people with disabilities, and non-indigenous communities, was emphasized.
Okotie underlined that Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) plays a vital role in enabling Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to utilize government resources efficiently to provide inclusive, accessible public services that enhance the well-being of all citizens, regardless of gender, ethnic backgrounds, or abilities.
During his presentation, Mr. Chris Umebese discussed water, sanitation, and hygiene, stressing the collective responsibility of preserving water supply.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mrs. Uche Edene, the Deputy Clerk in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, expressed appreciation to the workshop organizers for its valuable content, which is expected to reshape the government’s project execution procedures.
Another workshop participant, Engr. Joseph Agwu, the Acting General Manager of Ebonyi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, commended the USAID State2State Activity for selecting Ebonyi State for the workshop. He encouraged them to provide follow-up support, particularly in the water supply and sanitation sector.