A recent report by BudgIT, a civic tech organization promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance, has been misrepresented in various media outlets.
The report evaluated Sokoto State’s fiscal transparency, ranking it 36th in the third quarter of 2024.
BudgIT has stepped forward to set the record straight, emphasizing that their assessment was not an attack on Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration but rather a call for proactive disclosure of budgetary and financial information.
The State Fiscal Transparency League (SFTL) Report, which builds on the World Bank’s State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) Program, assessed Sokoto State’s fiscal transparency based on clear methodology.
The report measured the timeliness, accessibility, comprehensiveness, and overall publishing quality of state fiscal data on public websites.
While Sokoto State achieved perfect scores in areas like the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Approved Budget, it faced challenges in revenue reporting, audit transparency, and the e-procurement portal.
These gaps restrict citizens and businesses from accessing critical data that impacts their lives and economic decisions.
BudgIT’s evaluation is not biased, as evidenced by their 2024 Edition of the State of States Report, which ranked Sokoto State 23/36 in state fiscal performance, 26/36 in state fiscal viability, and 34/36 in state capacity to grow internally generated revenue.
Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, emphasized that transparency is essential for good governance, stating, “It is not enough to manage public funds effectively; transparency validates governance and builds lasting trust.”
Okeowo encouraged Governor Aliyu’s administration to adopt robust transparency practices, setting standards for others to follow.
BudgIT takes exception to the misrepresentation of their findings, reiterating their commitment to working with state governments to ensure transparency reforms are sustained and citizens remain empowered.
The organization is ready to provide technical support to Sokoto State to reignite the momentum established by its SFTAS successes.
The SFTAS Program has demonstrated that transparency is achievable with political will, adequate resources, and a commitment to reform.
Sokoto State has proven its capacity to lead in the past, and BudgIT urges the state to rise to the occasion once more, prioritizing transparency and accountability in its fiscal practices.
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