By Muhammad Amaan
The Kano Community of Practice on Immunization Budget Tracking, Accountability and Sustainability has attended the 2025 budget bilateral discussion between the state’s Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Ministry of Health.
The discussion which took place at conference hall of the ministry of planning and budget in Kano, to review the budget proposals submitted by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state.
In his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono said the discussion is meant to review the budget proposals submitted by the MDAs in order to jointly identify grey areas and gaps with a view to provide adequate information to address the grey areas and fill the gaps.
Shanono further highlighted some key challenges the planning and budget ministry is facing with the MDAs including poor flow of information between the two ministries regarding partners interventions and delay in writing memos to access funds on the part of the health sector.
He also emphasised on performance-based budget rather than budget with high funds.
On his part, the Commissioner of Health, Abubakar Labaran commended the efforts of the staff of the two ministries and called for a collaborative effort to address the challenges identified and re-submit the budget proposal.
In its contribution, the Kano CoP lamented the delay in writing memos on the part of the health sector which limits them from accessing the budgeted funds required for the delivery of healthcare services to the people of the state.
The CoP also encouraged the health sector in the spirit of partnership and performance to submit memos before end of quarter four of 2024 to mobilise more funds and improve budgetary releases for Immunisation and reaching Zero Dose children.