The Niger State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday in Minna, trained Directors of Planning, Research, and Statistics (DPRS) on how to budget for the vulnerable.

The training is to integrate social protection priorities into local government development policies.

Aisha Usman, permanent secretary, Niger Planning Commission, said the training would help DPRS prepare realistic and well-costed budgets that reflected the needs of the poor and the vulnerable.

“The success of social protection interventions depends greatly on how the DPRS are integrated into planning, adequate budgeting, effective monitoring, and continuous evaluation of the impact,” she said.

She added that the workshop would enable DPRS to moblise resources beyond government allocations and establish effective monitoring and evaluation systems that ensured accountability, transparency, and measurable results.

According to her, it will enhance the DPRS’ abilities to lead and coordinate social protection interventions at the local government level.

Also speaking, Wakidara Akila, social policy officer at UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, urged the participants to tie social protection to their budgets if poverty must be addressed.

“We have to address the issue of poverty in our society, and if we do not take action now, poverty will remain in our society.

“We need to plan to get good accountability for the various budgets and releases so that in the nearest future, Niger State will be one of the most developed states in Nigeria,” she added.

(NAN)`