To institutionalise participatory budgeting process, USAID State2State has conducted a helpdesk for Community Development Charter (CDC) projects and orientation for Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the CDC process.
The State2State Sokoto Team lead, Dr Abdulkadir Aminu Ladan, in his welcome remark, called on the CDC helpdesk and other participants to take their roles and responsibilities seriously as that is the only way citizens’ needs can be captured in the budget.
Activities at the event included a review of the CDC process; an introduction to budget and budget process; an introduction to the Community Development Charter; modalities for the CDC Helpdesk in the MDAs and LGAs; and discussions on the roles and responsibilities of the CDC Desk Officers, CSOs, and community groups in the CDC process.
The key outcomes of the event included; The commitment of MDAs CDC helpdesk to support the CDC process; The commitment of CSOs/CDC volunteers to sensitise more community volunteers and commence the development of the CDC; The establishment of a platform for networking between stakeholders in the CDC process.
He said that as part of the next steps, the CDC Volunteers and CSOs will immediately commence the CDC process ahead of the 2025 budget while the CDC helpdesk works closely with them.
The event was attended by directors of Planning, Research, and Statistics from various MDAs, planning officers from focal LGAs, CSOs, CDC volunteers, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).