The Sokoto State commissioner for budget and economic planning, Bashir Achida, has reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening social accountability in the infrastructure sector.

At the inauguration of the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) committee on Friday in Sokoto, Mr Achida said the state is the second in the federation to join the initiative, which aims to strengthen civil society, corporate associations, and professional bodies to improve infrastructure development and maintenance.

The commissioner described the CoST as the leading global initiative improving transparency and accountability in public infrastructure at various levels.

“CoST works with the government, the private sector and civil society to promote the disclosure, validation and interpretation of data from infrastructure projects.

“We are committed to a competitive and transparent process that allows stakeholders to engage and make informed decisions.

“Let us continue to leverage the CoST platform to enhance service delivery, improve infrastructure outcomes and demonstrate measurable performance across the state,” Mr Achida said.

Mr Achida stressed that the inauguration marks another significant milestone in the administration’s determined effort to strengthen transparency, accountability, citizen participation and value for money in public infrastructure.

“It is a globally respected initiative that brings together government, civil society and the private sector to improve openness and accountability in the planning, procurement, implementation and delivery of public infrastructure projects.

“The initiative helps governments improve efficiency, reduce waste, promote public trust and ensure that infrastructure investments deliver maximum benefit to the citizens,” he added.

According to him, the initiative encourages emphasis on multi-stakeholder collaboration for sustainable development, to be achieved when the government, the private sector, professional associations, civil society, community leaders and citizens work together to pursue shared goals.

Speaking also, the permanent secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Works, Ibrahim Muhammad, said that in human development, infrastructure plays a key role in driving impact and development in society.

Mr Muhammad said Sokoto State joined the rest of the world in the CoST family to advocate for greater openness, accountability, and transparency.

“It is expected that whatever project is going to be delivered, it should have a human component.

“That is why if you look at the framework of the CoST, it has a community engagement component which is critical to stakeholders’ participation,” he said.

The board comprised representatives from the Sokoto Chamber of Commerce, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Society of Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Civil Society Organisations, among others.

(NAN)