Focus on robust 2024 budget process – USAID S2S Activity urges Gombe CSOs PFM Forum
The United States Agency for International Development Nigeria State Accountability Transparency and Effectiveness State2State Activity, Gombe Field Office, has held quarter four quarterly Civil Society Organisations Public Financial Management Forum.
The Quarterly CSOs Forum held at the Emerald Royal Hill Hotel Gombe State on Tuesday was attended by officers from the Gombe Budget, Planning, and , Partner Coordination Office, Persons with Disability and members of various Civil Society Organisations.
The forum provided opportunity for participants to enhance their knowledge and understanding on effective advocacy for improved budget process, and the use of Community Charter of Demands as an all-inclusive part of the state budget process.
It also discussed ways of ensuring that all members of the society; women, youth, persons with disabilities,regardless of gender or social status, have equal access to information about government’s spending.
This is to access, if their needs are addressed in the budget and if they can participate in decision-making processes related to public finance.
In an Address of Welcome, the S2S Gombe State Team Lead( STL), Alhaji Muhammad Bello Abubakar, said the State2State in collaboration with the Gombe State Government, convened the quarter four CSOs’ PFM forum to review progress and follow up on next steps as agreed in the last forum and to look at expected outcomes of the CSOs’ interventions within the quarter under review.
“It is in view of the critical role CSOs play in advancing governance reforms, that the State2State provided various capacity building trainings and technical support to CSOs and Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs),and as well established the Gombe state CSOs’ Public Financial Management Governance Forum, and provided grants support to selected CSOs,” the STL noted.
Also Speaking, the S2S Citizen Engagement and Capacity Building Specialist, Mr Habila Salem said objectives of the quarter four CSOs PFM forum is to enhance knowledge and understanding of participants on effective advocacy for sustainable governance reform.
Salem said, “It is also to track and harvest the outcomes of CSOs’ interventions including number of advocacy initiatives undertaken within the period under review and to review progress made on 2023 state budget implementation in terms of citizens needs and priorities :Gender-responsive and Inclusive budget analysis.”
Salem said it is also to plan for next quarter interventions, including plan for a more robust citizen engagement and participation in the upcoming 2024 budget consultation.
He told participants that it is expected that at the end of the meeting CSOs will begin to follow up on 2024 budget consultation to ensure it uses the citizens community demand Charter in the budget process.
The CECB Specialist who also presented slides on effective advocacy for inclusion and sustainable governance, highlighted on the importance of an all inclusive budget.
The Gombe state chairman of Association of Non Governmental Organisations Mr Ibrahim Yusuf, affirmed that State2State built capacity of members who today are skilled and strengthened to advocate for improved budgeting in Gombe.
“We are now involved in budget processing and hence make inputs for an all inclusive budget,” Yusuf said.
He called for more collaboration and engagement with State2State for a transparent accountable and effective governance in Gombe State.
Periscope Nigeria reports that, it is expected at the end of the meeting that knowledge and understanding of participants on effective advocacy for sustainable governance reform is enhanced, key results of CSOs’ advocacy initiatives tracked and harvested.
CSOs’ advocacy action plan reviewed, revised and developed, 2023 state budget implementation analysed in terms of addressing citizens’ needs and priorities and then Plan for a robust citizens engagement and participation in 2024 state budget consultation developed.
State2State had supported CSOs in Gombe State to effectively advocate for inclusive and sustainable governance reform in public financial management for improved service delivery in Health, Education, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.
The forum, supports collaboration and coordination among governance focused CSOs carrying out interventions to increase, accountability, transparency, and effectiveness towards improved governance and service delivery in the state and targeted LGAs.
It also facilitates harvest of outcomes of efforts and lessons learned from implementing the State2State activity.
The last CSOs’ PFM forum, discussed the role of CSOs in public procurement process. Participants had enhanced knowledge of the key roles of CSOs/Citizens in public procurement and monitoring of public procurement processes.
