Tax Justice Holds 2-Day Budget Analysis Workshop For Kano Stakeholders

By Mustapha Salisu

The Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Kano, has organized a two-day budget analysis and engagement workshop at Mambayya House, drawing together market leaders, civil society organizations, government officials, and other stakeholders to scrutinize the state’s 2025 second quarter budget performance in key sectors.

Speaking during the session, Sadiq Muhammad Mustapha, Program Lead of the Tax Justice, explained that the workshop focused on the health, education, and commerce sectors.

He noted that participants conducted a comparative analysis of the government’s official budget performance reports to identify progress made and gaps in implementation.

“Through our analysis, we were able to uncover several challenges relating to the implementation of the budget approved by the Kano State House of Assembly. Our goal is not to undermine government efforts but to develop a harmonized advocacy document that will guide policy engagement with decision-makers and ultimately improve service delivery and revenue generation in Kano” Mustapha stated.

He stressed that the findings will serve as a foundation for policy dialogue, with the expectation that subsequent quarters will reflect improved performance indicators.

Also in his remarks, Garba Bello, Assistant Planning Officer at the Ministry for Local Government, emphasized the importance of community participation in governance.

According to him, lack of ownership of government projects often leads to vandalism and mismanagement of resources “When communities fail to see government projects as their own, they don’t protect them. This leads to wastage, as funds meant for new interventions are diverted to repairs”Bello explained.

He urged citizens to monitor and report deviations in project implementation and to actively engage government constructively.

Also speaking, a participant, Fatima Ali Hamisu from the Association of Nigerian Business Women Network, highlighted the relevance of the training in strengthening citizens’ ability to track public spending.

“The session was very important. We learned how to monitor the budget and hold government accountable in a peaceful way. As taxpayers, it is our right to know what has been done and what has not”

“Tracking the budget helps us identify gaps and demand improvements without conflict” she said.