FIDA scores Kogi Govt High on Gender Responsive Service Delivery

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has expressed satisfaction with the commitment of the Kogi State Government towards an improved gender responsive service delivery in the State.

Our Kogi State Correspondent, reports that the program manager, FIDA Nigeria, Fikih Obaro, who disclosed this in Lokoja at a drafting workshop on a roadmap for a gender responsive framework in Kogi State equally commended the Government for an improved budgetary allocation on gender responsive issues. 

Obaro said "We can see that there is 47 percent improvement in budgetary provision on gender responsive budgetting compared to what was obtainable in 2023. We can also see that there is a slight decrease in gender responsive allocation when compared to 2022. 

"This shows that the Government is being intentional about increase gender responsive services by ensuring that there is budgetary allocation for it. However, it also still indicate that, there is still certain areas on gender responsive issues that the Government has not touched.

" It is the duty of the Civil Societies Organizations to pin point this issues to Government towards ensuring that, this are well captured in the 2025 budget. We can start planning from 2024 ahead of 2025 if identified gaps are observed, and the People are informed on the roles that they will play in enhancing gender responsive service delivery".

Obaro argued that, the 2024 budget in Kogi State created some opportunities, stressing that, there are more work to be done in line with the successes recorded.

"For example, 11 Ministry Department and Agencies, (MDA'S) are going to work basically on the 2024 budget in terms of offering service to Women and Girls in Kogi State. This is tremendous. This means basically that there is an intention towards ensuring an improved gender responsive service delivery.

"However, there is more work to do towards ensuring that, it does not just stop at an appropriation stage, but however, the funds that are budgeted are released and the project identified are implemented for the good of Women and Girls in Kogi State".

He, however, identified poor budgetary allocation for remand homes, inadequate information on the implementation of Violence Against Person Prohibition, (VAPP) Law, as some of the areas the Government is yet to address on gender responsive service delivery.

"There is no much budgetary allocation for remands homes especially for female inmates. This is an issue. The judiciary needs to be encouraged. The judiciary needs to have budgetary allocations relating to this. We could also still see that, while is a good thing for us to construct Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), we also still see that there are concerted effort to ensure that SARC implementation is being put in place. 

"The budget is also not still telling us issues on the implementation of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) law. There is no specific line item that talks about the implementation of VAPP law, including the projects and activities that will ensure the smooth implementation of the VAPP law. It is a bit silent on that. 

"That should come under the purview of the ministry of justice. We are happy that we have good budgetary allocation on this but we are hopeful that some of this gaps and other identified gaps will keep coming up as the days goes by. 

"It can be used for programming, policy influencing, advocacy towards an improved 2025 budgetary allocation in Kogi State. The State now has a new Governor and for us we also look at it as an opportunity in terms of concerted advocacy and engagement with the new administration towards ensuring that our objective will lead ultimately to the outcome that we anticipate in this project which is having an improved environment for Women and Girls to strive in Kogi State".

Earlier in her remarks, the Country Vice President/National President FIDA Nigeria Mrs Amina Agbaje who was represented by the Kogi State Chairperson of FIDA Nigeria Barr. Lilian Okolo expressed optimism that the body will work with the available framework in achieving a more responsive gender budgeting in Kogi State.

Okolo charged the new Government in Kogi State to be responsive by releasing funds quickly r to the 11 ministries that was captured in the 2024 budget. 

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