Sokoto State Embraces Data-Driven Governance with New Agenda and Poverty Report
The Sokoto State government has officially launched its transformative Nine-Point Smart Agenda and the 2025 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, signaling a major shift from perception-based governance to evidence-led development strategies. This landmark event, held at the Deputy Governor’s Conference Hall in Government House, Sokoto, represents the first official publication by the Sokoto State Bureau of Statistics since its establishment in 2013.
A Covenant with the People
During the unveiling ceremony, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, who chairs the Steering Committee for the Nine-Point Smart Agenda, described these documents as the administration's covenant with the citizens of Sokoto. Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Muhammad Bello Sifawa, the deputy governor emphasized that the agenda, focused on Security, Religious Affairs, Economic Development, Education, Healthcare, Agriculture, Water Supply, Youth Empowerment, and Local Government Autonomy, is already yielding tangible results.
"Seventy per cent of the 2026 budget allocation is dedicated to infrastructure," he stated. "This demonstrates our commitment to transparent and accountable governance. We are moving decisively from perception to evidence in our policy-making processes."
Historic Poverty Insights
The 2025 MPI Report, unveiled as a scientific compass, provides the first credible, data-backed analysis of poverty in Sokoto State. Key findings from the report include:
- Insecurity is a major driver of deprivation, with local councils like Tangaza and Binji showing a strong correlation between insecurity and poverty levels.
- A hidden urban employment crisis exists in metropolitan areas, revealing unexpectedly high deprivation rates.
- Nearly one-third of the population is classified as "asset-rich but cash-poor," highlighting issues of seasonal liquidity crunches among the transient poor.
Commissioner Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Zayyana and Statistician General Abdullahi Abdulrahman Shagari were instrumental in producing the MPI Report and shaping the evidence base for the Nine-Point Smart Agenda. Shagari highlighted a significant achievement, noting that poverty intensity in Sokoto dropped from 91% in 2022 to 41% in 2025, thanks to targeted social protection policies and reforms under Governor Ahmad Aliyu.
Innovative Analysis and Future Impact
The report's innovative "Dual-Lens" analysis distinguishes between structural poverty, such as lack of schools and water, and transient cash poverty. "This approach allows us to prescribe precise interventions—infrastructure for the chronically poor and seasonal cash transfers for the transient poor," Shagari explained.
Alhaji Sani Abdullahi, Director of Planning at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, emphasized that these documents will revolutionize decision-making in the state. "We will no longer rely on guesswork for building schools, drilling boreholes, or siting clinics. The Nine-Point Agenda provides the framework, and the MPI Report offers the map, ensuring clear targets and accountable outcomes."
Recognition and Support
Representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, DRCN, and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations praised Sokoto State for this trailblazing achievement, noting it as the first sub-national Multidimensional Poverty Index Report in Northern Nigeria. The event was attended by key officials, including the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Aminu Haliru Dikko, members of the State Executive Council, and senior civil servants.
With the launch of the Nine-Point Smart Agenda and the historic MPI Report, Sokoto State positions itself at the forefront of evidence-based governance. This initiative underscores a commitment to combating poverty with science and actionable data, rather than assumptions and slogans, paving the way for sustainable development and improved livelihoods across the state.
