Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed has disclosed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has expressed its readiness to support the Ministry to improve in effective planning for the country.Mrs Ahmed made this disclosure, Thursday, July 14, 2016 in her Office in Abuja after a parley with the Foundation’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Mairo Mandara.
While reacting to Mrs. Mandara’s request on areas the foundation can provide support to the ministry to ensure effective planning for the country, the Minister listed; support to the National Bureau of Statistics in up scaling data reliability and quality, including monitoring and evaluation indicators right at the planning stage, and training of officers in the ministry and other MDAs to strengthen institutional capacity.
Other areas listed by the minister for possible consideration are; funding support, citizenship consultation in cultivation inputs for planning process, provision of good macroeconomic modeling tools and support in federal inventory project nation wide.
Accordingly, Mrs Ahmed gave an update to the Foundation on the effort made by the Ministry in producing the next medium and long term development plans for the country.
In her remarks, Mrs. Mairo Mandara stated that the Foundation purposely visited the Minister to seek support on how it can support the Ministry in achieving effective planning for the country.
She equally stated that the efforts of the ministry in championing the Social Protection Policy and the National Nutrition Policy is not only commendable but key to planning for improved citizens welfare, Dr Mandara also promised to share the experience and lessons learnt in the visit with her team in the foundation and other developing partners in their meetings for their support to the ministry.
Salisu B. Haiba
Assistant Director (Press)
