Sokoto State has unveiled its 9-Point SMART Agenda and launched the 2025 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, the first official publication by the Sokoto State Bureau of Statistics since its creation in 2013. The event took place at the Deputy Governor's Conference Hall in Government House, Sokoto. Deputy Governor Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, represented by Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Muhammad Bello Sifawa, described the agenda as a covenant with the people, focusing on Security, Religious Affairs, Economic Development, Education, Healthcare, Agriculture, Water Supply, Youth Empowerment, and Local Government Autonomy. Seventy percent of the 2026 budget is allocated to infrastructure, according to a statement read on his behalf. The 2025 MPI Report, produced with support from UNDP and Redwire Consulting, shows poverty intensity in Sokoto dropped from 91% in 2022 to 41% in 2025. Statistician General Abdullahi Abdulrahman Shagari credited the decline to targeted social protection policies. The report introduces a "Dual‑Lens" analysis, distinguishing structural poverty from transient cash poverty. It reveals insecurity in LGAs like Tangaza and Binji strongly correlates with poverty, while urban areas face an unexpected employment crisis. Nearly one-third of residents are "asset-rich but cash-poor," affected by seasonal financial strain. Commissioner Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Zayyana and Shagari were recognized for leading the data initiative. Alhaji Sani Abdullahi, Director of Planning, said the MPI Report and 9-Point Agenda will end guesswork in governance. Representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, DRCN, and civil society coalitions praised the move as a first among Nigerian states. The event was attended by top state officials including Alhaji Aminu Haliru Dikko, mni, and members of the State Executive Council.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto's administration is using a 41% drop in poverty intensity to validate its governance model, not rhetoric. The MPI report's data shows seasonal cash transfers are now as critical as infrastructure for those who own assets but lack steady income. For residents in LGAs like Tangaza and Binji, improved security could be the most direct path out of poverty, not just economic programs. This shift to evidence-based planning may finally make state spending in Sokoto answerable to outcomes, not promises.
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