Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Hosts Strategic Engagement Meeting with Thlama Peace Foundation

By: Our Reporter

The Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, under the leadership of the Acting Commissioner and Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu Safana, convened an engagement meeting today with key stakeholders from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) alongside representatives from the Thlama Peace Foundation.

The session commenced with a warm welcome address by Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu Safana, who emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to fostering partnerships with development-oriented organizations to drive inclusive and sustainable development across the state.

As the coordinating body for all NGOs operating in Katsina State, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning plays a crucial role in supporting, validating, and harmonizing the activities of NGOs. This coordination ensures alignment with government priorities, enhances planning, and strengthens the delivery of social protection interventions. The Ministry is committed to promoting synergy, avoiding duplication of efforts, and maximizing the impact of all development initiatives in the state.

During the technical session, Mr. Kadafur Joseph, the Programme Officer of the Thlama Peace Foundation, delivered a comprehensive presentation highlighting the Foundation’s history, objectives, and ongoing peacebuilding and development initiatives. He outlined the Foundation’s mission to promote social cohesion, community empowerment, and conflict resolution through grassroots engagement and collaboration with government and civil society actors.

Following the presentation, the Acting Commissioner facilitated an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to engage directly with the Thlama Peace Foundation team. Attendees asked critical questions and provided insightful feedback aimed at strengthening future collaboration.

The engagement meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including directors from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning: Dr. Tijjani Umar, Director of Social Protection; Alhaji Saidu Muhammad Danrimi, Director of Planning; Executive Director of the SEMA, Hajiya Binta Dangani; representatives from the Ministry of Women Affairs Hajiya Hajara Yusuf; Mr. Paul Maful from Mercy Corps; and other development partners.

The meeting marks a significant step toward building strategic partnerships for peace and development in Katsina State.

Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Hosts Strategic Engagement Meeting with Thlama Peace Foundation

Children’s Day: ActionAid Nigeria Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Future of Nigerian Youth

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has called for immediate action to protect the future of Nigerian child.

Speaking in Abuja on this year’s Children’s Day, themed “Tapping the Untapped Natural Treasure,”the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, called for urgent, unified action to protect the rights and dignity of Nigerian children.

He urged the government at all levels, civil society, development partners, and the private sector to acknowledge the dire conditions facing many children in Nigeria and to prioritise investments that secure their future.

Mamedu described the situation of the Nigerian child as alarming and untenable, stating that: “Despite the day’s celebratory nature, the reality for many Nigerian children is far from joyful. The convergence of escalating insecurity, deepening poverty, and widening digital divides has created a crisis that threatens the well-being and future of the country’s children. Our children are the heartbeat of this nation, yet many are trapped in cycles of poverty, conflict, and neglect. We must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions to ensure every child has access to education, nutrition, safety, and the digital tools necessary for their development.”

He noted that according to UNICEF, over 18 million children in Nigeria are currently out of school, with girls disproportionately affected by entrenched gender norms, economic hardship, and insecurity, decrying the security situation, particularly in the northeast and northwest, is worsening. The continued presence of insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP has led to the displacement of thousands of families, leaving children vulnerable to violence, trauma, and disrupted learning.

He noted that digital exclusion is another pressing barrier. Only 36% of Nigerians currently have access to the internet, and an estimated 78% of youth lack the digital literacy needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world. This limits their access to quality education, opportunities for skill development, and future employability.

Mamedu said compounding these challenges is the harsh economic climate. Various economic reforms and inflationary pressures have pushed basic food prices beyond the reach of many families. As a result, 33 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025, with children bearing the brunt of the nutritional crisis.

He said: “To truly unlock the potential of Nigerian children, we must go beyond policy on paper and confront the gaps in implementation. While education may legally be free under the Universal Basic Education framework, the reality is that millions of children—especially girls, displaced children, and those with disabilities—remain excluded due to insecurity, poverty, and lack of infrastructure. We urge policymakers, private sector actors, and development partners to prioritise inclusive, quality education; expand social protection to tackle hunger and health gaps; strengthen community-based child protection systems; and invest in digital infrastructure and skills that will prepare our children to thrive in today’s world.”

ActionAid Nigeria reiterated that investing in the well-being of every Nigerian child is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity for national development, peace, and prosperity.

Children’s Day: ActionAid Nigeria Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Future of Nigerian Youth

VP Shettima: Our Institutional Policy Reforms Will Solve 80% Of Nigeria’s Bureaucratic Challenges

** Says President Tinubu engraving new era of economic discipline, policy clarity

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said there is an urgent need for institutional reforms as the foundation for solving the majority of Nigeria’s public policy challenges.

According to him, strengthening the nation’s institutional frameworks would address 80 per cent of Nigeria’s public policy challenges.

The Vice President stated this on Monday during the official presentation of the draft National Public Policy Development and Management Framework by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination/Head of the Central Results Delivery and Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman.

VP Shettima described the new policy framework as a transformative approach that has been “long overdue” in Nigeria’s governance architecture.

“If we get our institutional frameworks right, we will solve 80% of our public policy challenges. This approach is long overdue,” he said.

The Vice President called for a national reset in the way public policy is conceived, communicated, and implemented, noting that the mitochondria of every government is a workable national public policy.

Commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, VP Shettima praised the President’s unique blend of public and private sector experience and his readiness to implement bold reforms.

“For the first time, we have a leader who understands the dynamics and speaks the language of economics. He has the courage to take far-reaching decisions. We cannot but commend President Tinubu for his very promising reforms across all sectors of the national economy,” he said.

The Vice President also stressed the importance of policy clarity and communication, pointing out that reforms must be clearly understood by the public and consistently implemented across all tiers of government.

Highlighting the role of e-governance and digitisation, VP Shettima advocated for data-driven policy execution and real-time monitoring, just as he also called for enforceable consequences within the policy framework.

“There must be targets and deliverables; if people fail to perform, they should be made to pay the price. Implementation without accountability is another word for lunacy. People must be made to account for their stewardship,” the VP said.

Emphasising the need to build strong institutions over reliance on individual leaders, the Senator drew a leaf from former United States President Barack Obama, saying, “Like former President Barack Obama said, what nations need is not strong characters or leaders, but strong institutions — institutions guided by strong, fair, and acceptable laws.”

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, told the Vice President that the draft National Policy Development Framework was conceived by the realisation that the federal government had no document that conceptualised government policies.

“It is interesting, Your Excellency, to know that at the beginning of this administration, it was quite baffling that the federal government did not have a guiding document which specifies the process by which policies should be conceptualised.

“Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government had been operating in silos, often producing overlapping and outdated policies. This has led to fragmentation, policy inconsistency, duplication of efforts, and ultimately inefficiency in the government’s endeavours.

“These challenges have not only impeded the realisation of government goals, but it has also weakened public trust and discouraged investor confidence. Recognising this urgency and the need to address these systemic issues is what enabled us, as a team, to initiate this process,” she stated.

Hajiya Usman, however, expressed confidence that the Draft National Policy Development Framework will address deep-rooted challenges of policy management and lack of coherence and consistency across MDAs.

The Draft National Policy Development Framework, she noted, is the result of extensive collaboration between her office, Office of the Vice President, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the National Economic Summit Group.

The Presidential Aide assured that with the input of the Vice President, the draft framework will provide the much-needed clarity, structure, and coherence that will enable the development of policies with clear intent.

VP Shettima: Our Institutional Policy Reforms Will Solve 80% Of Nigeria’s Bureaucratic Challenges