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The United Nations has urged key players involved in budget planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in Cross River State to get themselves acquainted with the global best practices in an effort to meet the Sustainable Development Goals Target by 2030.
This was disclosed during a three day training for key sector players in Budget, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) as well as Monitoring and Evacuation (M&E) staff across line Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The programme was facilitated by the Cross River State Government through the Ministry of International Development Cooperation in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held at Transcorp Hotel, Calabar.
Speaking at the opening session, the Commissioner, Ministry of International Development Cooperation (MIDC), Dr. Inyang Asibong said “the three- day meeting is to bring stakeholders involved in budgeting and the implementation of the SDGs to boost the capacity of the personnel, resources and institutional frameworks thereby strengthening and coordinating your efforts to achieve the set target”
Asibong was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, MIDC, Mr Felix Ekpeyong Ita and the Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs, Barr Mark Obi, stated that the implementation and tracking of the Transformation agenda 2030 in the state is realisable.
According to the Commissioner, the training of the line MDA staff in the state was timely due to their role in the development planning architecture across sectors including the Local Government Areas in Cross River State.
Presenting the key note address,the representative of the UNDP, and the Senior Special Assistance to the President, President Muhammad Buhari, Dr Bala Yunusa, said that the office will focus on strategic direction and impetus to the National commitment to the SDGs.
He emphasized that expertise and resources of all, both public and private sector, Scientific community and Donor community as well as the wider civil society are needed.
The training session was conducted by consultants from the UNDP, office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, Director of Administration, MIDC, Mrs Mbong Ausaji, CRS Statistician-General, Dr Josephat Ogar amongst other technical staff from the MIDC and State Planning Commission.
