Expert Advocates More Allocation of Budget to Health, Education Sectors in Sokoto

A public financial management expert with USAID on budget, Usman Faleye, has called the Sokoto State House of Assembly and other relevant stakeholders in the state to ensure more funds are allocated to the health and education sector in the 2024 budget.

Usman observed the budget defence by the officials of the Ministry of Health in the state at the House of Assembly complex on Monday. He said the allocation of fifteen per cent of the total budget to education, with 11.48 per cent allocated to health is below the general standard for health institutions in the country.

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Usman who is a financial expert with USAID Nigeria State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness Activity otherwise known as State2State said the organization used the opportunity of the budget defence to preach to the house that more allocation needs to be pushed to the health sector before the passage of the budget.

He further explained that the agency is hopeful that the house, the agencies and the general public might review the budget before its passage to at least fifteen per cent or more.

He also called for the review of WASH budget allocation from seven per cent to about ten per cent which he said is the global standard.