Governance

Oyo Begins Use of Poverty Indicators to Expand Social Register

By Web News 264

By Nafiu Busari

The Oyo State Government has begun the pilot phase of using Multidimensional Poverty Indicators to expand the state’s Social Register under the EU-funded SUSI Project implemented with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musbau Babatunde, announced this while opening a State Technical Consultation Meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Social Protection Technical Working Group.

Professor Babatunde said the meeting aims to strengthen coordination and improve the delivery of social protection programmes targeted at poor and vulnerable households.

He stressed that social protection is multidimensional and requires strong collaboration among all MDAs to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability.

He added that poverty-measurement criteria, budget allocation for the poor, and equitable resource distribution must be clearly defined and applied across all sectors.

The commissioner said Oyo State’s inclusion in the EU-SUSI Project represents another milestone in Governor Seyi Makinde’s commitment to sustainable development and human capital growth.

He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to data-driven, transparent social protection initiatives that “leave no one behind.”

Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Tunde Ayanleke, thanked UNICEF for its continuous support and commended Governor Makinde for approving a household survey that will strengthen data-driven planning and policy implementation.

State Coordinator of the Oyo State Operation Coordinating Unit (OYOSOCU), Mr Ismail Salami, said poverty in Nigeria should not be measured solely by monetary indicators.

He explained that the meeting was convened to agree on additional indicators that will make poverty measurement in Oyo State more accurate and inclusive.

Mr Salami said the programme aims to create a shock-responsive register that improves preparedness for future social and economic challenges.

He noted that the pilot phase is being implemented in four states — Oyo, Abia, Benue, and Sokoto — with ten local government areas selected in Oyo State.

Social Policy and Programme Manager at UNICEF Lagos Office, Mr Muhammad Okorie, said the European Union is the main sponsor of the Sustainable Social Protection Programme implemented through UNICEF in the four states.

He added that Oyo State is pioneering a new approach to social protection using Multidimensional Poverty Indicators for more targeted interventions.

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Governance

Osun Government Promises Transparent Implementation of 2024 Budget

By Web News 316

By Funmi Ojo

Osun State government says it will be transparent in the implementation of the 273.9 billion naira 2024 budget of the state.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Morufu Adeleke stated this during a news conference with newsmen to do a brief analysis and breakdown of the 2024 budget which was just passed to law by the governor, at the Finance House, Osun State Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo.

Professor Adeleke said the current government in Osun State has made it a priority to be transparent in its dealings and let the people know how the state government is managing the state resources.

The commissioner gave a quick rundown and breakdown of the budget, stating that the infrastructure sector would be taking the biggest chunk of the budget with 55.03 billion naira representing 50.10 per cent.

He said the 2024 approved budget estimate is not based on net financing as a loan, but that the budget, in turn, would be taking care of the debt commitment of the previous administration, in terms of debt servicing and payment of pension and gratuity.

Clarifying the budget for the Office of the Governor, the commissioner said the Budget for the Office of the Governor comprises of Governor’s Office, Office of the Deputy Governor, Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Bureau of General Services, Bureau of Government House and Protocol, Bureau of Parastatal and Bureau of Social Services.

Professor Adeleke said the breakdown and simplified version of the state budget would soon be made available to citizens of the state, both in Yoruba and English languages.

In a remark, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Chief Kolapo Alimi noted that the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke is always ready to reveal the true state of matters in the interest of the public.

He appreciated journalists for supporting the state government through reporting its activities, urging them to sustain the ethics of journalism by balancing their reports.

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Education

Oyo Govt, FG, Moves to Support Girl Child Education

By Web News 952 Post a comment

Oyo State government says plans are in place for the implementation of the Girl Child Programme, targeted at girls between ages 16 and 24 years.

The initiative, according to the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musbau Babatunde is designed to comprehensively assist the girl child in the area of education concerns of girls across the country.

Professor Babatunde explained that the process of implementation would require the response of the girls resident in the state to a text message that would be sent to them.

“The main objective of the programme is to select nothing less than One Hundred and Fifty (150) female beneficiaries across the country who are between ages 16 and 24 years and have advanced in Senior Secondary School”, he said in a statement. 

The commissioner stated further that the program will be targeted at girls who had completed their senior secondary education with good grades in Mathematics and English, while their data would be mined from the National Social Register of the poor and vulnerable across the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

He said the project would be supervised by the State Operations Coordinating Unit under the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Professor Babatunde appealed to residents with active phone numbers to attend to the text message, when they receive any.

“The intervention will use the call centre through 969 to address complaints from potential beneficiaries”.

Oyo State Government will implement the project in collaboration with TYDO-Leadership Academy, the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and Oyo State Operation Coordinating Unit (OYOSOCU).

Nafiu Busari

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Economy

Oyo Govt. Begins 2-Day Covid-19 Stimulus Training For MSMEs

By Web News 897

Oyo State government has flagged off a two-day technical coaching and capacity building for the beneficiaries of 1 billion naira Covid-19 stimulus package disbursed to operators of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs in the state.

Oyo State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musibau Babatunde and the Executive Assistant to Governor on Administration, Reverend Idowu Ogedengbe while briefing newsmen in Ibadan, said the programme was organized to ensure that the beneficiaries of the 1 billion naira MSMEs stimulus package have the requisite knowledge and technical know-how to manage the loans.

Professor Babatunde and Reverend Ogedengbe explained that the unemployment rate would reduce in the state if the beneficiaries could expand their businesses and engage others.

In a remark, the Director-General, Oyo State Investment and Public-Private-Partnership Agency, OYSIPPA, Mrs. Lola Olutola represented by the coordinating director of the agency, Mr. Akin Makinde, stressed that the capacity building, which targeted over two thousand entrepreneurs would be spread across the state.

The lead trainer, Mr. Fatai Olayemi said after the technical coaching, participants would be assisted in getting higher loans, alongside credible value chains.

Iyabo Adebisi