The European Union has challenged the Sokoto State House of Assembly to strengthen its scrutiny of public spending and ensure that government budgets deliver measurable improvements in the lives of citizens, particularly children, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The EU made the call on Tuesday, during a policy dialogue between the EU, UNICEF and other development partners and the Sokoto State parliamentarians on budget implementation, oversight effectiveness, and opportunities to improve results and performance, especially of social protection.
The Head of Cooperation and Partnerships at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca stressed that approving budgets was only one part of the legislative responsibility, saying lawmakers must also monitor the release and utilisation of appropriated funds to ensure that public resources are used for their intended purposes.
Michael Juma, Head of the UNICEF Field Office in Sokoto, said stronger capacity was needed within the Assembly to enable lawmakers effectively perform their constitutional functions.
He identified legislation, policy formulation, budget scrutiny, standard operating procedures and monitoring of government programmes as key areas requiring continuous capacity development.
Juma also commended the Assembly for adopting programme-based budgeting, which links public expenditure to defined targets and expected outcomes, saying the approach could strengthen accountability and make it easier to determine whether government spending was producing results.
He urged lawmakers to pay particular attention to the timely release of funds earmarked for social programmes, warning that delays or ineffective utilisation could undermine interventions designed to support vulnerable residents.
According to him, Sokoto’s allocation of more than 16 per cent of its budget to education and other social sectors represents an important investment in human development and poverty reduction.
The EU Programme Manager for Social Protection in Nigeria, Chioma Osuji, meanwhile, commended the state for taking steps to institutionalise social protection through the Assembly and the state budget.
Osuji said the creation of a dedicated social protection committee in the Assembly, alongside budgetary provisions for social protection, would provide a stronger institutional framework for sustaining interventions beyond individual programmes.
She also called for the strengthening of Sokoto’s Social Registry to ensure that social assistance reaches those most in need.
She said the EU was supporting the state in areas including health, education and durable solutions, while encouraging greater state ownership of such programmes.
Responding, the Assembly’s Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Committee on Social Protection, Muhammad Bello Idris, said lawmakers valued their partnership with the EU, UNICEF and other development partners.
Idris disclosed that the Assembly was considering the integration of English Language and Mathematics into the Almajiri and Tsangaya education system, arguing that the initiative would give children in the system stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy.
He said provisions had already been made in the education budget for the initiative, adding that lawmakers would examine the necessary legislative and appropriation requirements for its implementation.
The Majority Leader also appealed to development partners to support the Assembly’s transition from predominantly manual parliamentary operations to a digital legislative system.
He said digitalisation would improve the efficiency of parliamentary proceedings, strengthen transparency, preserve legislative records and make information more accessible.
Representing the Speaker, Tukur Bala Bodinga, Deputy Speaker Kabiru Ibrahim Kware assured the development partners that the Assembly would continue to strengthen its constitutional oversight responsibilities and collaborate on initiatives aimed at improving democratic governance, accountability and service delivery.
The Clerk of the House, Almustapha Sidi Attahiru, also sought additional support for lawmakers and legislative staff in social protection, legislative research, policy development and parliamentary administration.
The EU delegation reaffirmed its willingness to deepen its partnership with the Assembly in budget oversight, parliamentary digitalisation, social protection and institutional development.
