The Gombe State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, has commenced steps to strengthen the implementation of the state’s Social Protection Policy, with emphasis on improving the welfare and protection of women and children.
This was disclosed at a three-day workshop organised to develop a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plan for the implementation of the policy.
The workshop, which was held at Valada Hotels and Resorts, Jos, from August 4 to 6, 2026, brought together representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The Social Protection Policy, developed with the support of UNICEF, identifies women and children among the most vulnerable groups requiring targeted interventions across communities in the state.
Participants at the workshop developed a costed Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plan designed to translate the policy into a practical, implementable and adequately resourced framework.
The plan is expected to strengthen implementation, improve coordination among stakeholders, enhance accountability and establish a system for tracking progress, measuring results and promoting continuous learning throughout the policy implementation period.
Declaring the workshop open, the Gombe State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Micah Hamman, described the exercise as another milestone in the state’s efforts to build an inclusive, equitable and resilient society.
He said the policy would help protect and empower vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, internally displaced persons and other disadvantaged populations.
Hamman stressed that social protection should not be viewed merely as a welfare intervention but as a strategic investment in human capital development, poverty reduction, economic resilience and sustainable development.
“The objective of the workshop extends beyond developing a policy document to producing a practical, costed, and results-oriented implementation plan, supported by a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to guide implementation, resource mobilization, accountability, and performance tracking.”
While acknowledging UNICEF’s support in strengthening the state’s planning and policy processes, the commissioner expressed confidence that the workshop would produce a realistic costing of the implementation plan and an effective Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to guide coordinated social protection interventions across the state.
In his goodwill message, the Social Protection Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Yusuf Auta, reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to promoting the wellbeing of women and children.
Auta noted that women and children remained at the centre of UNICEF’s country programme and interventions.
According to him, “investing in women and children is fundamental to achieving sustainable development, as they constitute the foundation upon which prosperous communities are built.
“A mother’s instinct to nurture and protect her child often transcends even the most difficult circumstances. Unique caregiving role underscores the importance of prioritizing interventions that improve the welfare, protection, and empowerment of women and children”, he stressed.
The UNICEF specialist also highlighted the importance of investing in the capacity development of younger generations, noting that their wellbeing and opportunities would have implications for the future of society.
He said, “today’s children and young people are tomorrow’s leaders and custodians of national development. Building their knowledge, skills, resilience, and opportunities is essential to ensuring sustainable social and economic progress”.
Giving an overview of the Gombe State Social Protection Policy, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Jalo Ali, explained that the policy was initially conceived as a four-year document but was subsequently revised to three years.
He said the revision was made to align the policy with the Gombe State 10-Year Development Plan.
According to him, “this strategic alignment will promote coherence in planning, implementation, monitoring, and resource allocation across sectors”.
Ali commended Governor Muhammadu Yahaya for what he described as visionary leadership in facilitating the development of the state’s first 10-Year Development Plan.
He added, “With the Plan now halfway through its implementation period, preparations are underway to conduct a comprehensive Mid-Term Review to assess progress, evaluate outcomes, identify implementation gaps, and inform the remaining years of implementation”.
During the workshop, participants engaged in technical presentations, plenary discussions and thematic group exercises to review the strategic objectives of the Social Protection Policy.
They also identified priority interventions and implementation activities, estimated resource requirements and developed monitoring and evaluation indicators to guide the implementation of the policy.
The outcome of the workshop is expected to provide the state government and its development partners with a structured framework for coordinating social protection interventions, tracking implementation and measuring their impact on vulnerable populations.
