 The Govenor or Kaduna, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (in white), and Mr. Dauoda Toure (far right), Resident Coordinator of the UN System in Nigeria, at the signing ceremony. |
The UN System on Thursday signed the State Government’s Joint Annual Work Plan at Government House. The 2012 Work Plan describes the joint activities of 15 Kaduna State Government ministries, departments and agencies and four UN agencies, which together will implement programmes with a total value of around 1.1 Billion Naira (US$7 million).
The UN System works together in Nigeria’s Kaduna State under the leadership of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UN Deliver as One is an initiative to streamline strategies to increase the UN System’s impact on the lives of the people in Kaduna State in a more coordinated, effective and efficient manner. Kaduna State is one of the seven states in which the UN works together as one for the improvement of the people’s well-being.
The intervention harnesses the synergy of 17 UN agencies offering strategic skills that will benefit the State in the areas of health services, education, water and sanitation, employment, gender sensitive budgeting and planning as well as emergency preparedness.
Kaduna State Governor Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, UN Resident Coordinator Daouda Toure and UNFPA’s Officer in Charge, Eusebe Hounsokou, presided over the ceremony. Mr. Toure thanked the State Government for the support and cooperation the UN System has received so far.
Mr. Toure gave his assurance that the UN System would avail itself to all in its commitment to the work plan and would ensure full implementation of the signed document. He added that if the State honoured its counterpart funding, the UN would increase its funding.
Governor Ibrahim Yakowa said Kaduna State needed intervention in areas of concern that have been identified as the state’s priority objectives, with security being the highest priority. Without security, no meaningful development can be achieved, he said. The second related objective was unity among the people of the State. Uniting its people was key to creating an enabling environment and moving development efforts forward.
To consolidate the efforts of his team, currently working hard to overcome these challenges, the Governor urged the UN and other well-meaning partners to join in the efforts. He gave his assurance that the State would ensure full implementation of what was contained in the work plan. He charged his Commissioners with the monitoring and support of the implementation process and said his budget of 2012 had provided for Government Cash Counterpart Contributions, which would be made available after the signing ceremony. This corresponds to Naira 373 million (34 per cent of the total 2012 budget). He undertook to work closely with the UN team and thanked it for its commitment and support for the State.
The joint work plan was signed by the Governor on behalf of the State and the UN Resident Coordinator on behalf of the UN System, in the presence of both parties and the media.
