PRESS STATEMENT NORTHERN GOVERNORS FORUM AND IDB: THE WHOLE NORTH IS IN NEED BUT NORTHEAST IS IN CRITICAL NEED

We, the undersigned members of the Northeast Education and Social Accountability Cluster have welcomed the recent move by the Northern Governors Forum in partnering with the Islamic Development Bank to address the turbulent developmental challenges facing the Northern part of Nigeria.   The move is a clear indication of the forum`s effort in searching for all possible ways to transform the region amid the critical economic situation of the country.

While we are aware that the aim of the partnership is for the development of the whole Northern Nigeria, we wish to appeal to the forum on the need to concentrate more on the Northeastern Nigeria because of its peculiar developmental needs caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. Even in the Northeast it is obvious that the sector that requires immediate attention is education. Schools have been destroyed as a result of which many children are out of school. Therefore, it will be good if rebuilding schools features top in the agenda of the forum. Also recruitment, training, retraining and motivation of teachers need to be given consideration.  

In view of the above demand, we call on the Governors of the States in the Northeast to provide a reliable documentation of the destroyed schools. This should include name and location of the   schools, the extent of destruction, etc so that non-state actors can track the channeling of the funds meant for the schools reconstruction effort.

We also wish to point out that while money is needed, it is important that Governors are transparently prudent in the use and management of state funds. We urge them to be consultative in making their decisions on the reconstruction agenda by engaging communities and other stakeholders as well work with civil society organizations to allow for transparent tracking of the use of these funds.

Meanwhile, we call on the National Assembly to ensure a speedy passage of the Northeast Development Commission Bill that is before it, as it will serve as an instrument for coordinating all different interventions aimed at transforming the Northeastern Nigeria.

 

Signed:

  1. Kabiru Sa`idu Dakata, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano. 08064891110
  2. Mohammed G. Wuyo, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), Borno. 08063309633
  3. Enoch Raymond, Centre for Environmental Education and Development (CEED), Taraba. 07065550217
  4. Rebecca Hassan, Association of People Living with Disability, Gombe. 08036582745
  5. Aishatu Margima, Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative (WYEAHI), Adamawa. 08025225194
  6. Isah Garba, Bauchi Coalition for Improvement of Public Expenditure Management (BACIPEM), Bauchi. 08064867312
  7. Halimatu Laminu, Network of Civil Society Organizations, Yobe. 08025561637
  8. Dauda Mohammad, Northeast Youth Initiative Forum(NEYIF),  Yobe. 08035548664
  9. Asma`u Joda, Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Adamawa. 08032917070
  10. Ibrahim Yusuf, Society and the Future, Gombe. 08061153231

Education in Northeast comatose – CITAD

The state of education in the northeast is in comatose, the executive director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD),  has said.
Briefing Daily Trust yesterday during the presentation of the survey report on the state of education in the Northeast in Abuja, he said the research conducted revealed that the educational development generally in the Northeast is presently less than other parts of the country.

“We know that there are problems, so we want to bring all the stakeholders, legislative, executive, civil societies and community representatives to discuss this problems so as to come up with collective agreement on how we can work together to reshape the state of education in the Northeast,” he said.
House of Representatives committee member on basic education, House of Representatives, Muhammad Usman lamented that the structure of education in the Northeast has collapsed completely.
He pointed out that out of the 10.5 million children out of school in Nigeria, 8.7million are from the North, adding that the Northeast states have the highest number.
He said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) law that stipulates that 26 percent of the national budget must be allocated to education is not implemented in the Northeast as 12 percent is the highest been allocated.

Link: http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/education-in-northeast-comatose-citad/124760.html

CITAD paid a courtesy visit to Kano State Science and Technical Schools Board.

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has paid a courtesy visit to Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Abdullahi, the Executive Secretary of Science and Technical Schools Board at headquarters of the board situated in Audu Bako Secretariat complex. Making his remark on the purpose of the visit, leader of CITAD team Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai said the gesture is to further strengthen the existing relationship between CITAD and the board, adding that it is one of the objectives of CITAD to use ICT in empowering citizens as well as bring sustainable development, that is why the organization always goes to schools and communities and carryout ICT trainings and sensitization in order to ensure that this part of the country catch up with others in terms of ICT awareness as well as entrepreneurship.

CITAD has put in place several initiatives aimed at making people to become ICT-wise, eg the yearly ICT quiz for students of secondary schools in Kano and Jigawa states for the past fifteen years (15) which awards different prizes to students, schools and the teachers, that is to sensitize stakeholders on the need to embrace ICT while at the same time encouraging the students to also have passion for IT, another initiative is LATO, an acronym which stands for ‘Learn And Teach Others’, in this programme schools are asked to forward names of teachers that are IT blind to undergo training during holidays hoping they will transfer the knowledge they acquire back to their students and colleagues. CITAD has also last year lunched a computer learning video produced in Hausa language which was tagged ‘ICT4KIDS’, this is to target the younger ones with computer literacy and those who could speak English but are willing to learn computer. We have recently planned to target students of tertiary institutions with apps development competition, the initiatives are many I can only give some examples, said Malam Ahmad.

In his response, the Executive Secretary of Science and Technical Schools Board, Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Abdullahi said learning is a continuous process and does not end within the four walls of the class room, while curricular activities take place within the four walls of the class room, extracurricular activities take place outside and that is why NGOs like CITAD support schools with a vital knowledge like ICT. The efforts of CITAD helps a lot in extra curricular activities by organizing quiz competition, debate and so on, this is a way of boosting what has been learnt in the classroom, it is a way also of improving the student standard and enabling them to standout in the crowd. Perhaps no one will know their capacity and ability without organizing such events, as well no one would have known the kind of name Dawakin Tofa Science or Dawakin Kudu Science has made without attending and winning the quiz competition organized yearly by CITAD, although it will show in the future when the students have become doctors, engineers, lawyers etc, then they will be seen as products of those schools.

Science and Technical board has come a long way, it was established in 1977 with two secondary schools but the demand and interest have broaden such that the board now has 43 schools. The advanced countries are what they are because of their technological supremacy; therefore knowledge of ICT has become a must. Science and Technical schools board need knowledge of ICT more than all other schools. The board should be the one to pay a courtesy call to CITAD for what it has to offer to the board, but we are grateful that you are concerned and interested to follow us and doll out the much needed support. The board is always willing to benefit from the operations of CITAD especially in the direction of ‘Learn And Teach Others’. The executive secretary concluded by thanking CITAD for the visit, welcoming proposal from CITAD and enjoining the sustenance of cordial and beneficial relationship with the organization.

Present at the courtesy call were the directors of personnel and management, research and statistics, consultancy, educational support, schools, monitoring, and physical planning alongside Ado Shehu Yakasai, Kabiru Sa’idu Dakata, Hauwa Dauda Attah and Hamza Ibrahim, all of Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).

The session ended with presentation of some publications of the organization were presented to the Executive Secreatry of the board Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Abdullahi.

CITAD paid a courtesy call on Head of Civil Service Kano state

The Center for Information Technology and

Development (CITAD) has paid a

courtesy visit to Alhaji Muhammad Auwal Na’iya,

the Head of Civil Service,

Kano state. Briefing the head of service about

purpose of the visit, leader

of the delegation Mal. Isyaku Garba noted that the

appointment of Alhaji

Muhammad Auwal Na’iya as the civil service boss

is in recognition of his

qualification, performance and contribution to the

civil service as well as

development of Kano state. He said CITAD has

been partnering with Kano

state government especially in the area of quality

service delivery, it has

trained staff of Kano state Bureau of Statistics on

Statistical Package for

Social Services (SPSS) and Census and Survey

Processing System (CS Pro) and

many other important ICT packages.

On his part, the head of civil service expressed his

happiness for the

visit saying he has been following CITAD’s

activities and has personally

known the organization in the last ten years

especially for carrying out

trainings in the area of ICT to various tears of

government. He assured

CITAD of his continued support and collaboration on

trainings and

re-trainings of civil servants adding that the

organization has over the

years built sound records and reputation which can

be proud of anywhere.

Training of civil servants is a priority to us and with

this I’m directing

permanent secretary manpower development to

sustain a collaboration with

CITAD so as to ensure that we explore areas of

interest whereby we can

develop the capacity of civil servants in the state

especially on IT which

is pertinent at present, we need to make sure all

our civil servants are

computer literates, provision has been made in this

year’s budget for

training and part of the areas emphasized is IT

because of its relevance.

On this note, I also would like to link you up with

permanent secretary to

discuss and come up with acceptable proposal to

both parties so that we

conduct relevant training to our teeming staff. I

thank you for the visit

and do hope you maintain the good record you

have, said Alhaji Muhammad

Auwal Na’iya.

Present at the visit are Alhaji Salisu M. Gabasawa

(Permanent Secretary

Establishment), Alhaji Laminu Rabiu (Permanent

Secretary Salary & Wages),

Alhaji Kuliya A. Zubairu (Permanent Secretary

Manpower), Alhaji Abba

Danguguwa (Director Salary and Wages), Alhaji

Musa Tako (Director

Establishment), Alhaji Yakubu Garo (Director

Manpower), and Alhaji Mustapha

Safiyanu Kabuga (Director Admin & General

Services) alongside Ado Shehu

Yakasai, Kabiru Sa’idu Dakata, Hauwa Dauda Attah

and Hamza Ibrahim on CITAD

side.

2016 Budget: CSOs Implore Buhari To Leverage On Non-Oil Sector

By Adam Alqali

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to leverage on the non-oil sectors of agriculture and solid minerals in order  to actualize the objectives of the 2016 budget tagged “Budget of Change” as  presented to the joint session of the National Assembly  last December.

This call was made by Mr YZ Yau, a leading Nigerian civic activist and executive director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, at a one-day policy dialogue on public finance
management organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, in Kano on Thursday.

The policy dialogue,  organized  with the support of the Australian Government was attended by civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, government representatives and members of the press.

Mr Yau, who delivered a paper titled: “Treasury Single Account, Zero Budget and Sectorial Analysis of the 2016 Proposed Budget: A SWOT Analysis,” said as the price of oil continued to fall in the global market and the future appeared to be even more uncertain, the Buhari administration must, to a large extent, leverage on the non-oil sector to be able to effectively finance the 2016 budget.

“The non-oil sector is to provide twice the revenue expected from the oil sector, which is the first time that is happening in Nigeria’s history, and for the first-time in many years, the capital share of the budget is around 30%, which gives us some hope that the budget might possibly have positive impact on the lives of the citizens,” said Mr Yau

He added that the Buhari administration which came into power amidst high expectations from Nigerians and at a time when oil prices have crashed,  with  little money available to the government, must come up with mechanisms to ensure prudent utilization of resources towards effective implementation of the 2016 budget.

Ya’u, who said Buhari’s zero system of budgeting, was about fiscal discipline in terms of spending as well as about ensuring revenue-making agencies appropriately remit revenues to the government, decried the fact that although there was huge increase in capital expenditure, the allocations to social services sectors of health and education have declined.

Also speaking at the event, Abdulakadir Abdulsalam, the representative of the chairman of Kano State Board of Internal Revenue, KBIR, at the policy dialogue said Kano state’s 2016 budget would heavily rely on internally generated revenue, IGR, adding that for budgets to be successful they must to be properly planned and must also explain how the revenue aspects of the recurrent and capital expenditures would be financed.

He stated that whereas the recently introduced Treasury Single Account, TSA, would help in blocking leakages of the government’s revenue as well as aid the Buhari administration’s anti-graft war, the government needed to also look into the issue of compliance by ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, as well as the negative effects the initiative could have on social services sectors like health.
While speaking on the role of the civil society in promoting economic justice in Nigeria, Kolawale Banwo, a senior program officer at CISLAC said civil society organizations, CSOs, must be involved in the
formulation of laws adding that citizens have the right to know how ministries, departments and agencies, are spending their monies and also the right to be given the opportunity to complain about the government’s policies including taxes.
“CSOs should demand openness, transparency and accountability in governance, they should educate citizens on their rights and obligations; they should carry out research on public finance management so as to arm themselves with the requisite knowledge to be able to effectively engage with the government. CSOs have a responsibility to ensure the government’s polices benefits all,” said Banwo

Participants at the one-day policy dialogue believe the ability of the Buhari administration to look beyond oil will definitely see to the successful financing of the budget for the 2016 fiscal year.

Source: http://newsdiaryonline.com/2016-budget-csos-implore-buhari-to-leverage-on-non-oil-sector/

Memorandum Submitted to the Kano State House of Assembly by the

 

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), on the 2016 Kano State Appropriation Bill

 

Introduction

We would like to thank this honourable House for being truly representative of the people by holding yet another Public Hearing to get input from the citizens on the budget. While commending the house on this, it will be good if, henceforth, the Assembly should advise the Executive arm to be submitting along the Appropriation Bill, a citizen version that can be made available both as print and online so that citizens could study the budget and make informed inputs to this Honourable House. The lack of Citizens budget has been one of the factors for the low rating of Kano state in the Open Budget Index.

As an NGO that has been working on the Kano State budget in an effort to enlighten the citizens on the need to participate in the budget process  as it is central to the deepening of democracy, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has studied the 2016 Budget speech and come up with the following inputs:

  1. General Comments on the Budget: at N274, 824,600,378, this is about N64bllion bigger than last year’s budget. Given the crush in oil revenue, it is obvious an ambitious budget. We hope that government is aware of the danger of creating high expectation that a poor budget performance can fail to deliver. We note in particular that about a quarter of the revenue for the implementation of the budget (N60 billion) is to come from IGR while capital receipts will provide N117, 414,068,309. The estimate for federal accounts at N97, 410,532,069 is appears realistic. The IGR however will require more than systems and discipline to achieve.  It will have to look for all the taxable sources and efficient collection. We have no doubt that the government is aware of this and in fact has set up the necessary machinery to do so. However, it is most known that commerce in Kano is dominated by small scale players who can easily be destabilized by tax burden. In determining the threshold for taxation, government must be aware of this and must engage in consultations with all stakeholders to and the appropriate regime of taxation that will not place a budget on the poor but cannot be able to general the level of revenue that the state hopes to raise. In all we think that the budget size is too ambitious and can benefit from a reduction.
  2. The budget makes a favourable provision for capital expenditure, constituting about 69.7% of the budget. This is commendable. We hope that government will put in place, machinery to ensure that there is no leakage in the capital expenditure side of the budget because corruption has always been the major factor that undermines the delivery of and promises of capital budget in the country.

 

  1. Education: We have looked at the budget for education. In the last couple of years Kano State, especially within the context of Northern Nigeria has done remarkably well in the sector. However, it is still to catch up with states in the south. Also it has not achieved the minimum of all the MDG targets in the education sector. This means that a lot still remain to be done. Given this, we would like to call for a review of the allocation to education from the current level of only 8.605% to the minimum of 26% as recommended by UNESCO. This enhanced allocation should go in expanding infrastructure at both primary and secondary schools levels, and consolidating the feeding program. In our work at Sumaila, Garun Mallam and Dawakin Tofa, we have monitored pupils’ attendance in primary and secondary schools in the last three months and found that each time there was interruption in the schools feeding there is a drop in school attendance. For example, in Tukuda Primary School in Sumaila LG, a class that has 57 students on register, attendance during feeding period was on average of 30 but when feeding was interrupted in week 3, it dropped to 19 and then rose to 30 again in week 5 when feeding resumed. Also there should be recruitment of more qualified teachers at both primary and secondary school level. The provision laboratory equipment and computers in schools should be given priority. Kano State needs to make a statement by declaring itself ready for the full implementation of the new curriculum in schools which makes computer studies compulsory by ensuring that it has adequate ICT facilities in all its schools. We cannot hope to make progress and indeed catch up in this information era when our children lag behind in the use of tools that enhance learning.  We also call on the government to provide needed facilities for the People with Special Needs in the primary and secondary schools, so that our education system can be all inclusive.

 

With respect to the provision of computers in school, we note that this has so far concentrated in schools in Kano Metropolitan areas. Some of the schools have what can be considered as excess while majority of the schools have nothing. There is need to look at this. Also in some schools these facilities are lying idle, underutilized or even unutilized. The House Committee on Education will need to interface with the Ministry of Education to address these problems.

 

  1. Health: like education, the allocation to health (at N13.7billion, 4.98%) falls short of the World Health Organization recommendation of 15% of the budget. Kano State has one of the high rates of both maternal and infant mortality. It also has high ration of patients to medical staff. We note the provision for the completion of pediatric hospital at zoo road and completion of the Giginyu General Hospital. When these are completed and adequately staffed, they will contribute in reducing the congestion and the high patients to medical staff ratios. We would like to advise that the budget should incorporate provisions for the reactivation and revitalization of Community health committees which should be charged with the supervision, management and general upkeep of local health facilities, this way government will find that there is an effective supervision of healthcare facilities that the Ministry cannot provide. By partnering with the communities, government can reduce overhaul cost and make it easier for communities to also support the government. We recommend the upgrade of the allocation generally to the WHO level.

 

  1. Agriculture: while Kano is associated with commerce, a large percentage of Kano State population is engaged in farming, often at subsistence level. The State has arable and fertile land that can make it a food basket in the country. Given the need to diversify the economy nationally, the State government should take queue from that and also revitalize its agricultural sector to not only provide for food security but also become a source of both jobs and wealth for the state in particular and the country in general.  We note that current allocation to the sector which is N7.5billion (2.73%) falls short of the Maputo Declaration which commits states to providing 10% of their budgets to agriculture. We feel that the strategies of the government need to be reviewed and there should be internal re-assignation of costs to ensure that agriculture is revitalized and become a source of both wealth and food for the state and its citizens. To this end, government needs to focus not only on supporting the production activities, but also processing and marketing of the produce. This way government will help in adding value to agricultural products that wealth can come from agriculture. Right now much of the produce of farmers is wasted due to lack of processing facilities and relevant storage facilities.
  2. Infrastructure Development, many new projects are proposed. We are happy that the Governor wants to celebrate the infrastructural development of the state. However, we caution that there is need to complete existing ongoing infrastructural projects before embarking on new ones so that we do not end up with many abandoned projects which have been the bane of infrastructure development in the country. Countries that have developed the world have done that through the progressively adding up and grading existing infrastructure. Sustained growth and upgrade of infrastructure does not come from a history of new burst of projects each year. There are many items in the infrastructure section that are not clear. A number of road constructions listed as completed are actually not completed. A number of projects appeared to be regular list that appear in every budget for the last couple of years. There is a need for the Assembly to have a proper audit of the various constructions ongoing in the state and evaluate them in the light of the current budget proposal.
  3. Youth, Insecurity  and Unemployment: While we think that there is need to improve access to justice by bringing courts close to the people, thus understand and in fact applaud the decision to build more courts, we nevertheless, note that this did not respond to the very reason why the government made the proposal. The Governor in the budget speech says the Government is committed to building the courts “mindful of the security challenges facing the state and the country at large”. We believe that the budget does not give due consideration to security challenges in the state and the country in general. It is our view there that some concrete proposals have to be provided in the budget. This can be done by looking at the drivers of insecurity in the state. Kano State has today one of the highest rates of youth unemployment, in fact in absolute number of unemployed, Kano State is number one. Kano State is also reported to be top on the table of drug addiction. Both unemployment and drug addiction (which are in related) are the major sources of insecurity. Government should therefore do more in the area of youth empowerment and rehabilitation. To this end, we suggest that the budget for the ministry of information, etc., and especially the allocation due to Youth Development Directorate and Kano State Sports Council should be raised up. This however should be done with clear strategies of providing youth with business development services and support for them to set up their businesses, we also believe this should not be focused on the traditional business models such as providing poultry kits or other such similar things. It has to be in the new business sectors that produce services and goods where the market is there and sustainable for new entrants. While making the case for Kano State Sports Council, we add that the Council should not just see sports as participation in only national and foreign competitions but must generate enthusiasm for youth to engage in neighborhood sports. This will not only serve as recreation and for the healthy development of the body but also take away youth from drugs and other social vices. To this end, the Council should consider developing neighborhood sporting facilities in strategic places with its enhanced budget allocation. There is also the need to build more reformatory institutes and embark on campaign against drug abuse to rehabilitate youth on drug and make their lives more meaningful.  

In addition, we suggest that fighting crime and insecurity must leverage technology. The state is advised to provide CCTV Cameras in some strategic locations to help improve security. This is not captured in the budget but the Assembly can work with the relevant agencies of the executive to find ways to do so.

  1. Women Affairs: Women constitutes about 50% of the population in the state but they constitute more than 70% of the absolutely poor. They are economically and educationally the most disempowered. Because of these they are also excluded from most decision making processes in the society. Responding to the enormous challenges that women face In the society would require government making huge investment in women empowerment. The proposed allocation of N937million is inadequate to meet these challenges.  
  2. Leventis Foundation: Mr Speaker Sir, and Hon Members we would like you to seek for clarification because reactivation of Leventis Foundation appeared twice in the budget. It is under agriculture as well under Women Development. While it is a laudable scheme, you need to make sure that there is no duplication.
  3. Public Procurement Law: We like to end by drawing your attention to the concluding remarks of the Governor to this honourable House. He said “Along this line, the Government is in the process of promulgating Public Procurement Act that will ensure transparency, accountability and value for money in the running of our administration”. We welcome this commitment. We urge the House to place this immediately in its legislative calendar. We pledge to support the House with analysis and technical support on the Bill and we also like to call on the Governor to consider sending the Bill to this effect in the next few days