Zamfara Seeks to Enhance Citizen Wellbeing through Partnership with UN Agencies

The Zamfara State Government has announced a strategic partnership with United Nations donor agencies aimed at significantly improving the wellbeing of its citizens. This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Abdulmalik Abubakar-Gajam, during a press briefing in Sokoto on Thursday.

Abubakar-Gajam highlighted the numerous challenges faced by the state, noting that past administrations had alienated crucial donor agencies, hampering development efforts. However, under the leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal, these agencies have been reinvited to collaborate closely with the state to address these challenges.

The state government has designed a Medium Term Expenditure Framework and is working with UNICEF on a 10-year strategic plan focused on the state’s development. The commissioner emphasized that the current administration has declared a state of emergency in key sectors, including education, agriculture, security, and health, reflecting its commitment by allocating substantial budgetary resources.

“The education sector alone has been allocated approximately N55 billion, aimed at creating opportunities for over 20,000 students who have been unable to sit for their final year secondary school examinations,” Abubakar-Gajam stated. He further noted the alarming rise in out-of-school children, exacerbated by security issues that have led to the closure of many schools and inadequate infrastructure to support the growing student population. In response, the administration has inaugurated a model Almajiri school to address this issue.

Upon taking office, the administration faced significant challenges in the health sector, with no functional general hospitals, a lack of equipment, and inadequate medical personnel. “Only 108 medical doctors were available to serve 5.8 million people across 147 political wards,” the commissioner revealed. To tackle these deficiencies, the administration has allocated N33 billion to the health sector, facilitating the upgrading of primary healthcare centers to general hospitals.

In the agricultural sector, the government has supported 600 communities with livestock business initiatives and provided 19,000 farmers with inputs to boost productivity. Additionally, 10,000 individuals have benefited from a N50,000 cash transfer program designed to enhance their livelihoods.

Abubakar-Gajam also highlighted the role of international agencies in helping the state develop an improved social register, which captures all categories of vulnerable persons, ensuring that support reaches the most in need without interference from middlemen.

“With the support of donor agencies, the state now has Social Protection and Child Protection Laws that ensure equitable and quality policies for women, children, and physically challenged individuals,” he said. This collaboration has also strengthened the state’s access to World Bank grants and ensured compliance with operational guidelines for project execution.

Furthermore, Zamfara is the first state to implement the NG-CARES program, boasting a social register free from manipulation. This partnership has facilitated substantial support for thousands of vulnerable individuals, including over 500,000 internally displaced persons.