The Kano State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are strengthening budget tracking and accountability for nutrition, social protection and child protection programmes through a budget-tagging initiative.
The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Alhaji Musa Suleiman Shanono, disclosed this during a budget-tagging session held in Dutse, Jigawa State, on Sunday.
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Shanono, represented by the ministry’s Director of Planning, Alhaji Ismail Kabir, said the initiative would enhance the capacity of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to monitor budget allocations, expenditure and programme implementation across the three sectors.
He explained that the 2027 budget-tagging exercise would review existing nutrition and social protection programmes in line with the National Chart of Accounts, while introducing a new code and tag for child protection.
The commissioner said the state was still consolidating its 2027 budget, with specific allocations yet to be determined. He called on development partners, including UNICEF, to support the government’s efforts.
He also urged development partners to coordinate their interventions with the Ministry of Budget and Planning to prevent duplication and ensure the effective utilisation of available resources.
According to him, the initiative would promote targeted funding to address malnutrition, reduce poverty and protect children’s rights, ultimately improving the socio-economic well-being of residents.
Earlier, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Fatimah Musa, said the organisation was supporting the state government in developing budget codes and tags for nutrition, social protection and child protection programmes.
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She described the initiative as a significant step towards improving the visibility of public spending and tracking resources allocated to the critical sectors.
Musa said budget tagging would help the government determine the level of funding allocated to each sector, monitor expenditure, identify funding gaps and strengthen accountability for results.
She added that the initiative would promote evidence-based budgeting and ensure that public resources were directed towards improving children’s nutrition, protection and overall well-being, particularly among vulnerable households.
Musa reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continued collaboration with the Kano State Government to deliver tangible results for children and vulnerable groups.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Kano State Social Protection Agency (KASPA), Fatima Abubakar, reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening social protection programmes through adequate funding and collaboration among relevant MDAs and development partners.
She said the efforts were aimed at reducing poverty and improving the living conditions of vulnerable persons across the state.
Similarly, a social protection expert, Salisu Yusuf, said the Ministry of Budget and Planning, with UNICEF’s support, had facilitated the creation of budget lines for social protection programmes targeting poor and vulnerable groups.
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Yusuf explained that the initiative involved relevant MDAs in mobilising resources for existing and proposed programmes.
He added that the state had also developed a Social Protection Policy and drafted a bill to establish a Social Protection Agency, with support from development partners and other stakeholders.
