Borno: Biu LGA engages stakeholders on budget participation for grassroots development
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Biu Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno, in collaboration with Yaharakari Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (YWYEF) and Oxfam, has engaged stakeholders to strengthen citizens’ participation in budgeting.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the engagement was organised under the Social and Economic Participation of Returnees, Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities in North-East Nigeria programme.

The programme, known as SEPIN SUSI, is being implemented in three LGAs across Borno and Adamawa states to promote social cohesion, community development and sustainable livelihoods.

Alhaji Mai-Sule Abubakar, Chairman of Biu LGA, said the engagement, held in Biu town on Wednesday, was the first of its kind in the council.

Abubakar said the initiative was designed to enhance citizens’ participation in budgeting processes and strengthened grassroots development through inclusive planning and community engagement.

He said citizens’ participation in budgeting was critical to inclusive growth at the council, pledging to implement frameworks reviewed and generated during the stakeholder engagement.

The chairman commended Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno for implementing budgeted projects in Biu, saying the projects had contributed to improving residents’ wellbeing across the council.

He also appreciated development partners supporting the project, saying their efforts were contributing to improved social cohesion through community development planning and inclusive governance.

Abubakar, however, decried low internally generated revenue in the council, while restating his administration’s commitment to improving revenue generation and strengthening the council’s financial capacity.

Also speaking, Mr Tijjani Hamza, Oxfam Country Director in Nigeria, represented by Mr Samuel Lashom, Project Coordinator, said the engagement was important for building trust between communities.

Hamza said a budget was not merely a financial document but a direct reflection of people’s priorities, needs and aspirations within their communities and local governments.

“When government budgets accurately reflect citizens’ demands and citizens can actively track how funds are spent, we build something stronger than infrastructure.

“We build unbreakable trust between the state and the community,” he said.

He commended stakeholders for their advocacy in the council, urging them to use the platform to ask questions, seek clarity and engage authorities through civil dialogue.

Hamza further tasked stakeholders to “keep your eyes on the implementation to ensure that the priorities mapped out in your Community Development Plans become tangible realities.”

He urged the leadership of Biu Council to listen to participants’ feedback and demonstrate responsive, transparent and accountable leadership in implementing agreed priorities.

Also speaking, the Head of Programme, SEPIN SUSI, Ana Vinambres, urged stakeholders to implement the meeting’s outcomes to foster social cohesion and build sustainable livelihoods across the council.

Vinambres, represented by Dr Goni Modu, GIZ Borno Coordinator, also urged the council leadership to block revenue leakages and improve its revenue profile.

The Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar-Mustapha II, represented by Alhaji Betara Aliyu, Betara of Biu, commended the council’s efforts towards promoting transparency and accountability in governance.

NAN reports that the SEPIN SUSI programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union to support communities in northeast Nigeria.

It is implemented by Yaharakari Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (YWYEF), Oxfam and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) across selected communities in Borno and Adamawa.

Borno: Biu LGA engages stakeholders on budget participation for grassroots development
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Zulum in Canada to Seek Technology, Education, Investment Partnerships

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has arrived in Canada to pursue strategic partnerships with Canadian institutions and industries in technology, education, agriculture, skills development and investment, as the state intensifies efforts to rebuild its economy and expand opportunities for its people.

The visit, according to a statement by the governor’s media team , is aimed at securing technical support, facilitating knowledge transfer and attracting foreign direct investment to Borno, with engagements scheduled with Canadian universities, technology hubs and agricultural research institutions.

Zulum is expected to use the visit to explore scholarship opportunities for Borno students and develop vocational training programmes designed to equip young people with skills aligned with modern labour market demands.

The governor will also seek partnerships with Canadian technology firms to promote digital literacy and establish innovation hubs in Maiduguri, a move expected to strengthen the state’s technology ecosystem and create new pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship.

In the agricultural sector, the discussions will focus on leveraging Canadian expertise to improve food security, modernise livestock production and strengthen agricultural value chains.

The engagements are also expected to examine opportunities for technical cooperation in agriculture and livestock, particularly in areas where improved production methods, research and investment could support Borno’s economic recovery.

Before concluding the visit, Zulum is scheduled to present Borno’s emerging investment opportunities to Canadian investors, highlighting the state’s development priorities, economic revival efforts and prospects for sustainable investment.

The Canadian mission comes as Borno continues to pursue economic diversification and human capital development following years of disruption caused by insurgency. Beyond reconstruction, the state government has increasingly placed emphasis on education, vocational training, agriculture and private-sector investment as instruments for creating sustainable livelihoods and reducing dependence on public spending.

The proposed partnerships are therefore expected to complement the state’s efforts to rebuild institutions, strengthen productive sectors and prepare its young population for emerging opportunities in the global economy.

Zulum in Canada to Seek Technology, Education, Investment Partnerships

Disability Barriers Persist in Public Hospitals, Stakeholders Warn

…Project Kampe Bodi demands help desks, accessible telemedicine, stronger patients’ rights enforcement

By: Michael Mike

Persons with disabilities and other vulnerable Nigerians continue to face discrimination, poor communication and difficulties accessing services in government hospitals, stakeholders have warned, calling for urgent reforms to make public healthcare more inclusive.

The stakeholders, who spoke at the first roundtable meeting of Project Kampe Bodi in Abuja, demanded the establishment of disability help desks equipped with assistive technology, accessible telemedicine services and stronger enforcement of the Patients’ Bill of Rights.

They said the barriers confronting vulnerable patients were not merely issues of convenience but impediments to their ability to obtain timely, dignified and quality healthcare.

The meeting, organised by Project Kampe Bodi in partnership with the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CEFTPI), brought together more than 30 participants, including healthcare workers, persons with disabilities, patient advocacy groups and community representatives.

The participants examined gaps in service delivery and the measures required to ensure that healthcare reforms respond to the realities of patients who are often excluded from decisions affecting their access to care.

Founder and Board Member of FACICP Disability Plus, Mrs Ekaete Umoh, said disability inclusion would remain ineffective unless hospitals translated policies into practical services.

“We must move from policy to practice by making hospitals truly accessible for persons with disabilities,” Umoh said.

Her call underscored the need for public hospitals to move beyond formal commitments to inclusion by providing appropriate facilities, assistive equipment and support systems that enable persons with disabilities to navigate healthcare services independently and with dignity.

Project Kampe Bodi Coordinator, Princess Chifiero, said the concerns of vulnerable groups must be incorporated into healthcare reform decisions rather than treated as an afterthought.

“This roundtable ensures that the voices of vulnerable groups are not only heard but acted upon in shaping healthcare reforms,” Chifiero said.

The stakeholders recommended the creation of dedicated disability help desks in government hospitals to provide guidance, facilitate communication and connect patients with appropriate services. They also called for assistive technology to support patients with different disabilities.

Accessible telemedicine was identified as another avenue for reducing barriers to healthcare, particularly for patients who face difficulties travelling to or navigating public hospitals.

Participants further advocated regular training for healthcare workers on inclusive care, saying improved communication and a better understanding of disability-related needs were essential to preventing discrimination and ensuring equitable treatment.

They also recommended the mobilisation of youth health champions to promote awareness, accountability and patient-centred healthcare within communities.

The meeting placed renewed emphasis on the need for stronger enforcement of the Patients’ Bill of Rights, which provides a framework for protecting patients’ dignity, privacy, access to information and quality healthcare.

Project Kampe Bodi, a student-led initiative of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), said it would continue to promote accountability and quality healthcare services, while encouraging stakeholders to translate the roundtable’s recommendations into practical action.

Disability Barriers Persist in Public Hospitals, Stakeholders Warn