HDI engages Kano citizens on government’s basic education spending

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In a bid to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of funds meant for early childhood education in Kano state, the nonprofit Human Development Initiatives (HDI)  in collaboration with the Grassroots Health Organisation of Nigeria (GHON) Monday and Tuesday held sensitization program for Kano citizens.

The 2-day event was supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID-funded Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) project, working to strengthen civil society’s ability to influence the development and implementation of key democratic reforms at the national, state, and local levels in Nigeria.

Kano state is home to the highest numbers of Nigeria’s 10.5 million out of school children and the sensitization program which was based on the content of the state’s universal basic education board’s 2015 action plan brought together civic and community activists as well as education policymakers in the state.

The action plan is an annual document prepared by each state’s universal basic education board showing the breakdown of intervention projects or activities to be implemented across public primary and junior secondary schools.

Olayemi Samuel, research and program officer at Human Development Initiatives (HDI) said the idea of the program was to create awareness among the citizens on the content of the action plan including its budgetary spending so they can effectively monitor and engage policymakers in the education sector towards quality service delivery.

Samuel decried the fact that virtually all the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Nigeria were not willing to publicize their action plans despite the fact that the plans were public documents that ought to be made accessible to citizens,  in accordance with section 2 (4) of t Nigeria’s 2001 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act .

The action plan usually details project description, beneficiary schools, quality, locations, Unit cost, total costs and duration for execution.