By Habibu Harisu
Sokoto State Government in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Thursday commenced a training of for Planning Officers on best ways to handle, preserve and disseminate data for sustainable development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 5-day training tagged ” Strengthening Data Capacity and Result Based Reporting for Sustainable Development ”, was organized by the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planing, supported by UNFPA.
In his address, the Director, International Cooperation in the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planing, Alhaji Musa Wamakko, said the effort was geared toward enhancing the capacity of data and planing officers in the line Ministries and Agencies.
Wamakko said that improving data management and planing strategies was paramount to achieving the desired impacts on governments’ and donour agencies’ programmes.
He said state government ensured adherence to procurement laws in its activities, adding th training would expose the officers to using multimedia as well as other standard methods of data handling and planning strategies.
Wamkko thanked UNFPA for the support, noting that its interventions were yielding positive impacts on the lives of citizens especially on maternal health services in the state.
In his presentation, Malam Ahmad Abubakar-Jega, the Director of Economic Planing in the Kebbi State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planing, described good planing as a catalyst for achieving success in all programmes.
Abubakar-Jega dwelt on strategic, operational, tactical and contingency planning strategies and their respective advantages in government administration as well as resource management.
He underscored the importance for officers to ensure maximum monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes in order to have real-time assessments and obtain impacts of services using the scarce resources.
According to him, good supervisionsl facilitate impromptu assessment of projects with detection of rights and wrongs, alignments and comparisons in order to ensure effectiveness.
Mr Yusuf Bello, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, UNFPA Kaduna Office, led participants to the use of online data tools, analysis, software programmes available in the Internet and computer-based installations for officers to deploy in their respective activities.
Bello added that real-time and result-based reporting ensured balanced and accountable information that facilitate development and implementation of right decisions for greater impacts.
He stressed that adherence to standard reports writing techniques always facilitated easy comprehension, identification of impacts for continuation of projects and services through use of baseline indicators.
The Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health/Youth Development Officer of UNFPA, Mrs Bahijja Garko, sensitized the participants on parental adolescent communication strategies and best ways to associate with youths.
Garko advised the parents to ensure free communication flow with their children especially adolescents,adding”it allowdls expression of divergent feelings and ensure easy ways of mentoring their activities for smooth development.”;(NAN)
