Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Commission Manager, Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE), Britta Van Erckelen, lauded the Edo State government for being one of the states in Nigeria to have made a significant strides towards adopting Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB).
She gave the commendation while delivering her goodwill message at a high-level stakeholders engagement hosted by the Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Benin.
The theme of the event is “Gender Responsive Budgeting -An Imperative For Edo State.
Erckelen said gender budgeting is a very important aspect to consider in Technical Vocation Education because of its wide range opportunities in the labour market.
The Commission Manager of SKYE added that during her first visit to the state in June of this year, one of key requests from the state governor was the need for strong, targeted support for initiatives that promote gender inclusion across the state.
She noted that she is proud to say that even before the request, SKYE and the GIZ-implemented programmes of the Sustainable Economic Development Cluster (SEDEC) have actively supported laudable initiatives in this direction, one of which is the domestication and successful launch of the Edo State Gender Policy in December 2023.
She said since then, they have worked closely with the state government to ensure that the action plan of the Gender Policy is being implemented across various sectors.
Speaking also, the Commissioner, Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Edo State, Christabel Omon Ekwu, said the state has made great strides in promoting gender equality just as she said she recognizes that true progress requires intentionality in its planning, resource allocation, and implementation process.
She said Gender-Responsive Budgeting is not just about distributing resources; it is about ensuring that every naira spent reflects the diverse needs of the people, especially the marginalized and vulnerable.
For the Commissioner, Ministry of Budget, Planning and Economic Development, Osilama Okuofu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Efe Iserhienrhien, said the ministry is very much committed to ensuring that the upcoming 2025 budget aligns with their collective vision for equity and inclusivity.
Okuofu said their collaboration with the ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues is vital in translating the Edo State Gender Policy into actionable budgetary frameworks that consider everyone’s needs including the needs of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.
For the Programme Component Manager, Gender and Inclusion, GIZ-SKYE, Helen Igboka, she called on those saddled with the responsibility of making budget to learn from countries that practice Gender Responsive Budgeting to improve on what is on ground in the state.