The Kano State Social Protection Agency has commenced a two-day knowledge-sharing visit to the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget to understudy the state’s approach to development planning, social protection coordination, data management and citizen engagement.
The delegation, led by the agency’s Director-General, Hajia Fatima Abubakar-Abdullahi, held an interactive session with the Lagos State Social Protection team, led by its Director, Semiu Yusuf, at the ministry’s headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja. The visit is aimed at gaining practical insights into Lagos’ institutional structures and approaches to social protection and development planning.
Speaking during the engagement, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Olayinka Ojo, said Lagos remained committed to knowledge-sharing with other states as part of efforts to promote sustainable development. She explained that the state had established a dedicated Social Protection Coordinating Department to improve coordination of interventions, supported by personnel and administrative structures.
Ojo also highlighted Lagos’ approach to community-level data management, noting that disaggregating data beyond broad administrative classifications enables government to better identify local needs and target interventions. She said the approach was designed to support more inclusive planning and ensure that no community was left behind.
She further explained that the Lagos Development Plan provides a long-term framework for government interventions, with milestones set across immediate, medium and longer-term periods. According to her, the state’s planning priorities include economic growth, modern infrastructure and human capital development.
On citizen participation in budgeting, Ojo said Lagos had concluded consultations across communities to gather residents’ priorities for the 2027 budget. She noted that the inputs would be presented to accounting officers and heads of agencies ahead of bilateral budget discussions.
The Permanent Secretary also highlighted the role of Community Development Committees and other community structures in engaging residents, gathering feedback, updating social protection registers and monitoring government interventions.
Speaking on the visit, Abubakar-Abdullahi said the Kano agency, established in the previous year, was still developing its institutional structures and operational systems. She said the delegation chose to study Lagos’ experience to gain practical knowledge that could support the development of an effective social protection system in Kano.
The visit is expected to strengthen inter-state knowledge exchange and provide Kano with practical lessons in institutional development, development planning, community engagement, data management and social protection coordination.
