Members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly have pledged to fast-track a Social Protection Law and fund the expansion of the state’s Social Register, following revelations that the state’s 2026 budget performance was below 50 per cent by the end of the third quarter.
The commitments were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day legislative capacity-building workshop held in Abuja on November 10 and 11, 2026. The workshop, themed “Strengthening Budget Scrutiny, Fiscal Discipline and Social Protection Systems for Inclusive Development,” was supported by the European Union through UNICEF, the International Labour Organization and ActionAid Nigeria.
Budget implementation gap
Participants observed that although the state’s approved 2026 budget stood at N758,700,526,537.89, overall implementation had remained below 50 per cent as at the end of the third quarter, exposing a major gap between appropriation and actual delivery.
They also noted that a substantial share of social-protection spending was still channelled through untargeted welfare packages, rather than through the Sokoto Social Register, limiting transparency, targeting efficiency and measurable impact.
Assembly’s commitments
The lawmakers resolved to prioritise the consideration and passage of the Sokoto State Social Protection Bill once transmitted by the executive, including expedited readings and a public hearing. The proposed law is expected to establish a Social Protection Council or Agency, create a Social Protection Basket Fund, and make use of the Sokoto Social Register mandatory for all social-protection interventions.
The House also committed to making a specific budgetary provision for the State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) to expand the National/State Social Register, particularly to cover hundreds of communities and settlements currently excluded from the register.
Other resolutions include quarterly scrutiny of budget-performance reports, realistic and evidence-based budgeting, closer oversight of internally generated revenue to curb leakages, and public awareness campaigns on tax compliance and revenue mobilisation.
Fiscal concerns
The communiqué described Sokoto’s fiscal position as heavily dependent on allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), with weak internally generated revenue and rising debt-service obligations. It said new borrowing should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny on necessity, cost, utilisation and debt sustainability.
The workshop was attended by members of the Assembly led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tukur Bala Bodinga, principal officers, the Clerk and senior management of the legislature, as well as representatives of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, UNICEF, ILO and ActionAid Nigeria.
The Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to use its lawmaking, budget-approval and oversight powers to promote fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability and an inclusive social-protection system in Sokoto State.
