USAID intervention: Adamawa aligning with global best practices in governance- Official

Dr Mary Paninga, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, stated this on Tuesday in Gombe while speaking with journalists on the sideline of a three-day workshop tagged “Adamawa State Year Five Consultative Work Plan.”

Paninga said that State2State had supported in various aspects from financial management, revenue generation, procurement issues to gender inclusion.

According to her, the intervention has helped in improving cash management and resource allocation and also helped in promoting timely release for improved service delivery.

“The truth is that State2State in Adamawa state has been of great help in governance, financial management, internally generated revenue, procurement issues, gender inclusion and the rest.

“It has been a really good one in budgeting and the likes. They have contributed a lot and are still doing same.

“The intervention has helped us to put in shape those things that are yet to get balanced especially on the performance component of the state.

“Adamawa State is now aligning with global best practices in governance through USAID State2State Activity intervention; this is quite good.

“Prior to State2State intervention, Adamawa State was on the down ladder of the performance of budget assessment but today with State2State intervention, in 2022/2023, we came third in the country in budget performance and transparency.

“For you to climb up that ladder, it means something has happened and State2State is really responsible for that and we are grateful,” she said.

The executive secretary also highlighted the impact of the USAID State2State gender which she said that the state was now reaping gains of such intervention.

“State2State has done a lot and the fruit can be seen now. All vice chairmen of all elected local government areas are women.

“The inclusiveness is part of the milestone we have achieved courtesy of State2State with the components they brought in.”

While making her presentation , the State Team Lead (STL), State2State Activity, Adamawa Field Office, Ms Suzanne Myada, said State2State had been complementing the efforts of the state and target local governments since 2021.

Myada said that the project had complemented Adamawa State by supporting and sustaining reforms, providing training, building skills and capacity and strengthening systems and processes.

She said that the workshop was organised to review the implementation of State2State Adamawa Fiscal Year 2024 work plan, including key results accomplished, challenges and lessons learned.

“Review the implementation of State2State Adamawa interventions, governance reforms, and knowledge management products from Year 1 to date and to review data and information gathered from key informant interviews on State2State Adamawa fiscal year 2025.

She said that at the end of the workshop, it was expected that stakeholders’ critical inputs for State2State Adamawa fiscal year 2025 work plan with focus on ownership, sustainability, and consolidation would be gathered.

According to her, stakeholders from the meeting will develop and draft State2State Adamawa fiscal year 2025 work plan.

The Workshop is being supported by the USAID funded State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity, Adamawa Field Office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 39 participants who were drawn from ministries, departments and agencies, CSOs, LGA and USAID implementation partners in Adamawa State are attending the workshop.(NAN