Muhammad Jamil Abubakar
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment to supporting Gombe State in the implementation of key sectoral strategies aimed at improving the lives of women and children, especially in health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection, and social protection.
Speaking during the opening of a five-day technical workshop on the development of the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS), Yusuf Auta, Social Policy Specialist with the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, emphasised the importance of aligning sectoral plans with the state’s Ten-Year Development Plan (2021–2030).
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He explained that the MTSS is a critical bridge between long-term strategic planning and annual budgeting, ensuring that specific projects and interventions are well-defined, costed, and implemented over time through the state budget.
Auta noted that UNICEF has supported the Gombe State Government in formulating its social protection policy and various sectoral strategies to improve service delivery. He urged participants to dedicate their time and efforts to refining the MTSS documents so they can guide sustainable program implementation.
In his opening remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Gombe State, Salihu Baba Alkali officially declared the workshop open.
He commended UNICEF for its technical and financial assistance in organising the session and expressed gratitude to Allah for enabling the event’s success.
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The Commissioner also acknowledged Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s vision and approval of the MTSS process, which he described as a major step in reinforcing the link between the state’s development agenda and its budgeting system.
Salihu Baba Alkali announced that beginning in 2026, Gombe State would fully adopt Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB), a system designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and service delivery by tying budgetary allocations to measurable outcomes and performance indicators.
The Commissioner encouraged all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to maximise the knowledge shared during the workshop and apply it to improve project selection, planning, and execution, ensuring that every naira spent yields a positive impact for the people of Gombe State.
The MTSS workshop is expected to run for five days and will engage key government and non-governmental stakeholders in strategic planning and budget formulation.