Kano govt, UNICEF strengthen budget tracking for child protection

Kano State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have intensified efforts to strengthen budget tracking and accountability for nutrition, social protection and child protection programmes aimed at improving the welfare of children and vulnerable households.

The initiative is expected to enhance transparency in public spending, identify funding gaps and ensure that available resources are directed towards programmes that address malnutrition, poverty and the protection of children’s rights.

The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Alhaji Musa Suleiman Shanono, disclosed this during a budget-tagging session held in Dutse, Jigawa.

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Shanono, who was represented by the Director of Planning in the ministry, Alhaji Ismail Kabir, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the capacity of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to identify, track and monitor budgetary allocations for the three priority sectors.

He explained that budget tagging would enable the government to monitor approved allocations, expenditure and programme implementation across relevant MDAs, thereby improving accountability and the effective utilisation of public funds.

The commissioner said the state was currently consolidating its 2027 budget, including provisions for nutrition, social protection and child protection, although specific allocations for the sectors had yet to be determined.

He acknowledged that limited financial resources made collaboration with development partners essential, urging organisations supporting the sectors to coordinate their interventions with the ministry to avoid duplication of efforts.

Shanono added that the ministry was strengthening coordination among relevant government agencies and preparing for a third-quarter review of nutrition and social protection programmes.

Kabir said the budget-tagging initiative, supported by UNICEF, would help the government identify priority programmes and make targeted allocations to tackle malnutrition, reduce poverty and safeguard children’s rights.

Earlier, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Fatimah Musa, said budget tagging would improve the visibility of government spending, enable stakeholders to identify funding gaps and strengthen accountability for results.

She explained that the initiative would promote evidence-based budgeting and ensure that available resources were channelled towards improving the welfare of children and vulnerable households.

Musa reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with the Kano State Government to achieve measurable improvements in nutrition, child protection and social protection.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Kano State Social Protection Agency (KASPA), Fatima Abubakar, stressed that effective social protection programmes required adequate funding, appropriate budgetary allocations and stronger collaboration among government agencies and development partners.

She emphasised the need to strengthen interventions aimed at reducing poverty and inequality, protecting vulnerable households and expanding access to essential support services.

A social protection expert, Mr Salisu Yusuf, said the Ministry of Budget and Planning, with support from UNICEF, had facilitated the creation of budget lines for programmes targeting poor and vulnerable groups.

Yusuf further disclosed that the state had developed a Social Protection Policy and drafted a bill for the establishment of a Social Protection Agency, with support from ActionAid and other stakeholders.

He said the initiatives were designed to reduce poverty and inequality, improve living conditions and promote inclusive and sustainable development across Kano.