The Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health At Scale Project line with her drive for improved funding and increase accountability and transparency in the budget process and above all to enhance adequate Citizen Engagement in Budget Process through her Subgrantee in Niger State – the Centre for Communication and Reproductive Health Services in Supported Niger State Planning Commission to undertake Citizen engagement through Town Hall Meeting on 2023 proposed budget. The Town hall Meeting was held on Thursday, the 8 th of December 2022 at Haske Luxury Hotel, Minna, Niger State.
The citizens’ engagement Town hall meeting is aimed at sensitizing stakeholders towards preparing a robust and all-inclusive Budget for 2023. Citizen engagement is a form of interaction between citizen and their government, it can happen at any stage of development or implementation of government policy and is triggered by events. Citizen engagement can lead to a range of outcomes, including more effective services and a more responsive and accountable state; therefore, citizens play a critical role in advocating and helping to make public institutions more transparent, accountable, and effective and contributing innovative solutions to complex development challenges.
Moreso, it helps government achieve improved development results in creating links between citizens and improved public service delivery, public financial management, governance, social inclusion and empowerment.
In the same vein, citizen engagement, especially during the period of economic crises and financial crises coupled with emergencies like insecurity, flood and other health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic as the effectiveness of response efforts can often hinge on behaviour change at the micro-level, informing and receiving feedback from citizen can provide insight on how the crisis is affecting communities and enable real-time correction in an evolving situation.
This Town hall meeting was organized by the Niger State Planning Commission (NPC) and Niger State House of Assembly Committee on Planning and Appropriation supported by the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health At Scale Project (PAS) and Chaired by the Executive Governor of Niger State – Alh. (Dr) Abubakar Sani Bello represented by the Deputy Governor – Hon. Ahmed Mohammed Ketso supported by the Hon Commissioner of Planning – Hon Zakari Abubakar. The town hall meeting was attended by cross-section of stakeholders including Women and Youth Group Leaders, Religious Groups (JNI, CAN etc).
Representatives of People with Special Needs (People With Disability), Labour and Trade Union Officials, Local Government officials, Media Union Officials (NUJ/NAWOJ), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), members of the media etc. within the State.
