The Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Mohammed Gobir, has said the State Government has achieved major gains in the implementation of its 9-Point Smart Agenda.

Gobir made this disclosure at the official unveiling of the 9-Point Smart Innovative Agenda and the launch of the 2025 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, held at the conference hall of the Deputy Governor’s Office in Sokoto.

The Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the 9-Point Smart Innovative Agenda, said this is evident in the tremendous successes recorded across various sectors of the agenda.

According to a statement issued by Garba Mohammed, Director, Press Affairs, Deputy Governor’s Office, 70% of the state’s budget allocation for 2026 was dedicated to infrastructure provision.

Alhaji Gobir added that the unveiling ceremony represents exactly the kind of governance promised to the people of the state.

On the 2025 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, the Deputy Governor said this is the first time the state has had credible, data-backed insights into where poverty exists, how severe it is, and the factors driving it.

The report highlighted that insecurity fuels deprivation, urban centres face a hidden employment crisis, and nearly one-third of the state’s population is asset-rich but cash-poor, he said.

Gobir, represented by the Secretary to the State Government and Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Muhammad Bello Sifawa, described the documents as factual and not mere rhetoric.

He commended those who contributed to the formulation of the documents, particularly the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning under its Commissioner, Dr Abubakar Muhammad Zayyana.

Earlier, in a welcome address, the Director of Planning in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi, said the documents will guide the government on where to build schools, provide healthcare facilities, and drill boreholes, as they offer clear direction.

Alhaji Sani Abdullahi added that the 9-Point Agenda equips the government with a framework to address specific challenges in local government areas across the state.

The Director of Planning expressed optimism that, with the documents, the government will no longer rely on assumptions when making critical decisions.

Representatives of development partners, including UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, DRCN, and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, applauded the government’s efforts, adding that it is the first state in the Northern part of the country to conduct its Poverty Index Report.

The occasion was witnessed by the Deputy Chairman II of the Committee and Chief of Staff, Government House Sokoto, Alhaji Aminu Haliru Dikko, mni, members of the State Executive Council, permanent secretaries, and Chief Executive Officers of some agencies in the state.