The chairperson of the Adamawa State Planning Commission, Dr. Mary Paninga, has credited the accountability of government officials for Adamawa State’s impressive performance in a national transparency survey.
Last week, Adamawa State was ranked third in the Nigerian States Budget Transparency Survey of 2022, alongside Jigawa and Kano, which took the first and second positions respectively in terms of transparent budget processes.
The survey report, released in Abuja, was presented by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) with support from UKAID and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). It revealed that out of the 36 states in Nigeria, only a few demonstrated satisfactory levels of transparency and accountability in budget and procurement processes.
Jigawa State claimed the top spot with a total score of 84%, followed by Kano with a score of 64%, and Adamawa with a score of 63%.
In addition to the top three states, Edo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, and Yobe were also highlighted as significantly transparent, providing almost sufficient budget information to the public.
On the other hand, the report indicated that 16 states, including Ogun, Osun, Kaduna, Ekiti, Borno, Zamfara, Abia, Gombe, Katsina, Enugu, Bauchi, Cross River, Oyo, Kwara, Kebbi, and Anambra, were weak in terms of transparency, scoring between 40 and 60 percent.
The remaining states: Plateau, Bayelsa, Imo, Lagos, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Sokoto, Delta, Benue, Rivers, and Niger, all scored below 40 percent, with Rivers, Niger, Benue, and Ondo states scoring below 20 percent.
Dr. Paninga, in her statement, expressed her appreciation to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri for his exceptional commitment to public accountability.
“Adamawa State’s remarkable ranking as the third most transparent state in the country with a score of 63 percent is a testament to the dedication and efforts of our esteemed Governor and the Planning Commission and Budget,” she said.
