The Yobe Human Capital Development–Demographic Dividend (HCD-DD) Secretariat said it adopted proactive measures to strengthen monitoring and evaluation to achieve better outcomes.

The HCD – DD programme is being supported by the Lafiya UK Project, a health intervention project in Nigeria.

The focal person of the programme in Yobe, Usman Bura, said this at a three-day workshop on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework development on Wednesday in Dutse, Jigawa.

The workshop, billed to hold from October 22 to October 24, aims to strengthen institutional capacity for evidence-based planning and accountability in implementing Yobe’s Human Capital Development Strategic Plan (2025–2027).

Mr Bura said the training exercise was a follow-up to the recent launch of the state’s three-year HCD – DD strategic plan.

He said the exercise aimed at equipping participants with technical skills in M&E to ensure effective tracking of the state’s progress across key HCD-DD sectors such as education, health and youth empowerment.

He stated, “This training is designed to strengthen the capacity of technical stakeholders to understand, apply and manage the monitoring and evaluation framework for the state’s HCD-DD programme.’’

Mr Bura said 21 participants drawn from the Ministries of Women Affairs; Youth and Social Development; Employment and Wealth Creation; Yobe State Bureau of Public Procurement; representatives of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); and the Office of the Focal Person on Persons with Disabilities were attending the exercise, reflecting the data-driven and inclusive nature of the programme.

Mr Bura said the HCD-DD secretariat had earlier established a baseline report for Yobe State as of December 2024, capturing performance levels in core sectors, adding the ongoing training would enable stakeholders to measure progress from 2025 to 2027 based on that benchmark.

He noted that the goal would ensure that the state’s human capital development initiatives were guided by measurable indicators and credible data.

A training facilitator, Musa Muhammad, outlined the objectives of the training to include developing a state-owned HCD-DD M&E framework for integration into the Yobe State Bureau of Statistics.

Mr Muhammad, also a member of the Chartered Institute of Human Capital Development, said the exercise also sought to align the framework with the HCD-DD Theory of Change and state development priorities, define institutional reporting mechanisms, and build the capacity of government institutions for monitoring and reporting.

“The training will help establish a result-based system that supports evidence-based decision-making, resource mobilisation, and improved accountability,” he said.

In a presentation, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, HCD-DD, Abdullahi Jawa, highlighted that M&E supports managerial systems to achieve set objectives and improve access to essential services, particularly in health, education and youth empowerment.

According to Mr Jawa, monitoring is a continuous process of tracking progress, and evaluation involves periodic assessment of a project’s design, implementation, and outcomes.

He said, “M&E improves decision-making, ensures transparency and helps measure success and impact.’’

The exercise is part of continuous capacity-building initiatives under the Yobe HCD-DD framework, supported by Lafiya UK, to enhance governance and human development outcomes in the state.

(NAN)