By Our Correspondent
Kebbi State government through the office of the special adviser on international donor agencies has held a development partners’ meeting where it resolved to establish a donor project coordinating office for the state.
Governor Nasir Idris made this known when he opened the development partners’ meeting at the Cabinet Office in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
The governor who was represented by his deputy Umar Abubakar, said it was in line with best practices of the state government to complement the utilisation of its resources.
The donor projects co-ordination office under the office of the governor will be overseen by the special adviser to the governor on international donor agencies, providing the roles of coordinating and focal office.
This is out of zeal of the government to achieve some specific objectives, including improving resource mobilization, allocation, harmonization, and utilization to avoid duplications and double or multi-dipping by beneficiaries; promoting partnerships and investments in social, community and human capital developmental projects; scrutinizing and earmarking spending approvals of projects; timely provision of counterpart funding; improving inclusive governance especially at the community level; strategic data collection and analysis; and shall relate with relevant MDAs and community structures across the state to ensure effective implementation of donor-driven and people oriented interventions.
He said the creation is strategic and shows that the government has serious concerns for development sector, adding that the importance of resource efficiency in service delivery and closer engagement between the government and development partners cannot be overemphasised.
Secretary to the state government Yakubu Bala, who was represented by the head of civil service, ufyanu Garba Bena, assured the participants that government would work out modalities to make all partnerships work for the benefit of its people.
Special adviser to the governor on international donor agencies, Dr Usman Buhari Ali Gwandu, called for a review of development partners’ activities, policies and frameworks.
