From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has tasked its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to intensify efforts in generating revenue in order to strengthen the state’s fiscal capacity and sustain ongoing development projects.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad Zayyana, issued the charge during bilateral discussions on the proposed 2026 budgets of the MDAs held at the ministry’s conference hall in Sokoto.
He said that revenue generation must take priority, noting that “the budget is a function of revenue rather than expenditure, and it is revenue that drives expenditure.”
He commended some MDAs for maintaining discipline by staying within their budget ceilings, while also stressing the need for realistic budget proposals that align with government priorities.
Several commissioners, including those for Higher Education, Prof. Isah Maishanu; Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala; Science and Technology, Prof. Attahiru Ahmad Sifawa; Health, Dr. Umar Abubakar Wurno; and Information, Alhaji Sambo Bello Danchadi, presented their ministries’ budget proposals.
They assured the government of their readiness to comply with the new fiscal guidelines and described the discussions as “robust and timely,” helping them shape more practical 2026 budget frameworks.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Humanitarian Affairs, the Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum, Alhaji Sanusi Danfulani, as well as senior officials from the Livestock and Fisheries Development, the State Independent Electoral Commission, and the State House of Assembly Service Commission, commended Zayyana for introducing innovative ideas aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline.
They said that the new approach would assist their respective agencies in producing budgets that reflect performance, reality, and alignment with the government’s priorities.
Earlier, the Director of Budget, Alhaji Buhari Umar Musheshe, explained that the deliberations focused on three guiding principles: ceiling, ranking, and description. He said MDAs were expected to design their budgets within approved ceilings, rank projects according to priority, and provide clear descriptions to support the success of Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s nine-point “Smart Agenda.”
Other MDAs that appeared before the ministry included Justice, Religious Affairs, Water Resources, Home Affairs, the Office of the Auditor General, the State High Court, and the Shari’ah Court, among others.
The session was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hajiya Maryam Ahmad Barade, Chairman of the State Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Comrade Bello Gwadabawa, and representatives of the State Internal Revenue Service.
