UNICEF, Kaduna partner to boost LGAs budgeting for children, vulnerable groups

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Kaduna State Government, has commenced a three-day public financial management and social protection financing training for Directors of Planning and Budget across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The capacity-building program, which opened on Wednesday in Zaria, aims to assist local budget officers in formulating realistic, credible budgets that prioritize essential social services, including basic education, healthcare, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and social protection ahead of the 2027 budget cycle.
Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, Muktar Abdullahi, emphasized that sound public financial management serves as the bridge between development promises and measurable outcomes, urging participants to align local planning with community needs.
Similarly, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Mahmud Lawal, noted that LGAs are uniquely positioned to identify vulnerable households.
He called on budget officers to leverage the ongoing 2027 budget preparation to integrate social protection priorities into local spending plans.
Chairman of the Kaduna State Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Sani Rabiu Bako, stressed that public budgets must be realistic and transparent, defining budget credibility as a reliable alignment between approved funds, actual expenditures, and delivered public infrastructure.
Representing UNICEF’s Kaduna Chief of Field Office, Social Policy Officer, Wakidara Akila urged officers to evaluate specific budget line items to ensure spending directly improves outcomes for children and marginalized families.
The workshop covers practical execution strategies, performance monitoring, the application of the National Chart of Accounts (NCoA), and methods to strengthen transparency and value for money in grassroots public administration.