Cross River State is introducing a new accountability framework to track public spending, monitor government projects and measure their impact on citizens.
The State Monitoring and Evaluation Policy, developed with support from UNICEF, is expected to strengthen the link between government planning, budgeting and project implementation across the State’s 18 Local Government Areas.
Governor Bassey Otu at launch said the challenge for Cross River State, is no longer just planning projects and allocating funds, but establishing whether public investments deliver the results for which they were intended.
The new Monitoring and Evaluation Policy is designed to provide that framework, aligning government programmes with the State’s 2024–2033 Development Plan.
Representing Governor Bassey Otu, the Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission, Bong Duke, said the policy will guide project monitoring, establish performance indicators and strengthen accountability across Ministries, departments, Agencies and Local Government Councils.
The critical role of the legislature in actualising the project is highlighted through sustaining the framework beyond the current administration.
The State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Victor-Felix Idem, said the effective monitoring must follow projects from commencement to completion, examining the resources committed, individual performance and the final outcomes.
For UNICEF, which provided technical and financial support for the policy’s development, the ultimate measure of success must be improvements in people’s lives, particularly those of children and underserved communities.
With the policy now launched, attention shifts to implementation, including the adoption of measurable indicators, reliable reporting systems and sustained funding for monitoring.
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(Editor: Ken Eseni)
