The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has emphasised that effective and forward-looking budget planning is critical to improving the welfare of children and vulnerable households in Katsina State.
Speaking at the opening of a seven-day capacity-building workshop for Katsina State government officials in Kaduna, the Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, Rahama Farah, stressed that Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEF) and Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) offer a vital pathway for turning policy intentions into measurable outcomes for children.
Farah explained that sound budget frameworks go beyond meeting statutory requirements, noting that they shape government priorities and determine the scale and quality of services delivered to communities.
He said aligning fiscal plans with realistic revenue projections would enhance accountability and strengthen service delivery across critical sectors.
He commended the Katsina State Government for ongoing efforts to improve its planning and budgeting processes, adding that UNICEF recently partnered with the state to produce a budget advocacy brief identifying funding gaps and priority investment areas affecting children and vulnerable populations.
According to him, the ongoing MTEF and MTSS development process presents an opportunity for the state to embed those findings into medium-term plans that safeguard investments in health, nutrition, education, social protection and resilience-building initiatives.
Farah noted that with children making up a significant proportion of Katsina’s population, deliberate and sustained funding in these sectors is essential not only for social development but also for long-term economic growth and human capital development.
He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the state with technical expertise, data and global best practices to promote inclusive and child-responsive budgeting.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Malik Anas, described the MTEF and MTSS as strategic instruments for aligning Governor Dikko Radda’s “Building Your Future Policy Priorities” with available resources.
He said the frameworks would help the state achieve fiscal discipline, predictability and sustainability in public spending.
Anas explained that the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework would guide resource allocation over a three-year period, while the Fiscal Strategy Paper would outline the state’s macroeconomic outlook, revenue plans and spending priorities.
He added that the MTSS would translate these broad goals into sector-based, costed programmes and projects aimed at delivering tangible development outcomes across the state.
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