Kogi Builds M&E Capacity, Moves to Institutionalise Statewide Performance Management
By Princess Funsho Sumanu
The Kogi State Government has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and institutionalise a statewide performance management system.
The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, focuses on the fundamentals of Monitoring and Evaluation and the development of a comprehensive Performance Management Plan aimed at improving the monitoring of government programmes, assessment of institutional performance and measurement of development outcomes.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Asiwaju Ashiru Idris, said the initiative was a major step towards building a results-oriented public service that places premium on accountability, efficient resource utilisation and measurable development outcomes.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Special Adviser II on Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Elijah Evinemi, said the success of government policies, programmes and projects should not be judged solely by the volume of resources allocated or funds expended, but by the results achieved and their impact on the lives of citizens.
According to him, an effective Monitoring and Evaluation system provides government with the tools to track project implementation, measure progress against established targets, identify gaps and generate credible information for evidence-based decision-making.
He said Kogi State must progressively move away from a system that focuses predominantly on activities and expenditure towards one that prioritises measurable results, value for money and sustainable development impact.
On the proposed Performance Management Plans, Idris explained that the framework would translate the strategic objectives of government institutions into specific, measurable and time-bound commitments, with clearly defined responsibilities, targets and indicators for assessing performance.
He added that effective implementation of the plans would strengthen the alignment between government priorities, institutional objectives, annual budgets and programme implementation, while providing a reliable basis for evaluating the performance of MDAs.
The Commissioner called on Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Heads of MDAs to provide the necessary institutional support to their M&E Officers, particularly in data generation, record keeping, performance reporting and the timely submission of monitoring reports.
He assured participants of the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening coordination among MDAs and institutionalising a robust Monitoring and Evaluation framework to support effective planning, budget implementation and accountability.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Philip Ochu, described the workshop as an important intervention aimed at improving the technical capacity of M&E Officers and strengthening the institutional framework for performance management across government.
Ochu said Monitoring and Evaluation provides government with vital information needed to assess progress, identify implementation challenges and determine whether public programmes and projects are delivering their expected benefits.
He stressed the need for MDAs to institutionalise regular performance reviews and ensure that identified gaps are addressed through appropriate corrective actions.
The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Bello Joseph, outlined the key objectives of the training, explaining that it was designed to strengthen participants’ competencies in data collection, analysis, validation and performance reporting. He said the workshop would equip M&E Officers with practical tools for developing effective Performance Management Plans and strengthen institutional planning across MDAs, ensuring that government activities are guided by reliable data, clear targets and measurable outcomes.
The Permanent Secretary also assured participants that the Ministry would strengthen coordination in monitoring and reporting arrangements to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative.
In her goodwill message, the Statistician-General of Kogi State, Mrs. Irewole Ayo-Alani, emphasised the importance of credible and reliable data to effective monitoring and evaluation.
She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions to improve data collection, availability and utilisation, noting that reliable information would enable government to assess previous interventions, identify areas requiring improvement and make informed decisions on future development programmes.
Ayo-Alani urged participants to approach the training with commitment and ensure that the knowledge acquired translates into improved performance and better service delivery across their respective MDAs.
Also speaking, the Chairman of KONGONET, Mallam Hamza Aliyu, who represented the civil society community, commended the Ministry for the initiative, describing effective Monitoring and Evaluation as critical to translating government development plans into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
He observed that while Kogi State has a development plan capable of supporting engagements with development partners at national and international levels, the greater challenge lies in translating the objectives of such plans into measurable services and tangible benefits for the people.
Aliyu identified inadequate data and weak data management as major challenges affecting effective decision-making and accountability in the state, and urged participants to ensure that the workshop produces a more capable workforce and improved responses to Monitoring and Evaluation responsibilities.
He added that the success of the exercise would strengthen confidence in future capacity-building initiatives in the sector.
The technical sessions, facilitated by the Technical Assistant to the Director-General of the Governance Delivery Unit, Mr. Busari Kayode Oyelola, focused on practical approaches to Monitoring and Evaluation, performance management and factors responsible for the failure of government projects.
Participants were introduced to the project cycle, results chain, logical framework, SMART objectives and indicators, as well as baselines, targets and the preparation of basic Monitoring and Evaluation Plans.
The training also examined factors responsible for project failure at the planning, execution and utilisation stages, with discussions highlighting poor data, inadequate stakeholder involvement, political interference, procurement challenges, weak monitoring arrangements and poor sustainability practices.
Participants were further encouraged to involve M&E Officers from the planning stage of projects, ensure that interventions respond to the actual needs of communities and strengthen accountability mechanisms to guarantee that public resources achieve their intended purposes.
The workshop is expected to equip participants with practical knowledge and tools to improve performance reporting, identify implementation gaps and contribute to the development of a comprehensive Performance Management Plan that will strengthen institutional effectiveness and service delivery across Kogi State.
