By Murtala Muhammad
Bauchi State has made significant strides in improving healthcare, education, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services over the past four years, with support from the USAID-funded State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity.
The collaboration has driven governance reforms and strengthened service delivery, which is yielding tangible outcomes for citizens.
A key element of these successes has been the state's commitment to adopting Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approaches to bolster infrastructure and enhance basic services for the citizens.
State2State's 2023 Midline Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) report indicates that there is 15% increase in acceptance that government is meeting the expectation of people, and highlighted the need for broader adoption of PPP frameworks to address service delivery gaps.
The report underscored that partnerships between the government and private sector could lead to more effective healthcare, education, and WASH services, where citizens expressed optimism about the potential for PPPs to improve efficiency, expand access, and ensure sustainability.
To build on this momentum, State2State organised a two-day Bauchi State Public-Private Partnership Dialogue being held at Jos, Plateau State, with critical stakeholders reviewing the existing PPP initiatives, identifying new opportunities, and charting a way forward for a more robust framework.
Speaking during the opening of the dialogue, the Team Lead USAID State2State Activity, Bauchi Field Office, Mrs Rabi Ekele, said the dialogue would focus more on basic education, primary healthcare, and WASH services, with an emphasis on aligning the sectors' effort to maximise impact.
Mrs Ekele, represented by the Citizens Engagement and Capacity Building Specialist, Mr Habila Salem, said the dialogue is also expected to address the need for policy adjustments, investment incentives, and mechanisms for ensuring transparency and accountability in PPP projects.
The participants include government officials, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, and the media, with a view to collaborating in identifying barriers to effective partnerships and proposing actionable recommendations.
0 Comments