By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The Women’s Rights to Education Programme (WREP), in collaboration with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has on Thursday trained local government officials on Planning, Budgeting, and Transparency in Taraba state.
Speaking at the one-day capacity-building workshop organized for local government officials in Jalingo, WREP’s Executive Director, Dr. Mimidoo Achakpa said that the workshop was designed to strengthen local governance for accountability and service delivery.
The workshop which tagged, “Strengthening Local Governance for Accountability and Service Delivery in Taraba State,” brought together 21 senior staff from Finance, Administration, and Budget Departments across Jalingo, Ardo Kola, and Gassol Local Government Areas.
Represented by the WREP Programme manager, Mr Henry Akya, Mimidoo noted that the workshop was aim at equipping local government staff with practical skills in planning, budgeting, and transparency.
Also speaking, facilitator, Amb. Boniface Koson, State WREP contact person reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to empowering local institutions for better governance.
Participants were exposed to participatory planning techniques, transparent budgeting methods, and strategies to enhance openness and accountability in public resource management.
“Effective planning, accountable budgeting, and transparency are crucial to drive citizen-centered service delivery,” he said.
Correspondent reports that the workshop featured three intensive sessions on local government planning, budgeting, and transparency where participants engaged in interactive discussions and group exercises, sharing their experiences and challenges in public finance management.
Participants including Comrade Bashir Yakubu, Mrs. Vakkai Blessing Patrick and Mrs. Naomi Joshua all lauded WREP and FCDO for investing in capacity-building and pledged to step down the training to their colleagues and apply the knowledge gained to improve public service delivery.
WREP also announced plans to provide follow-up support and monitor application of learning through town hall meetings in the three LGAs to ensure that the knowledge gained is applied to improve governance and enhance service delivery at the grassroots.
