The United Nations Children’s Fund has partnered with the Borno state government to improve its monitoring and evaluation system.

Speaking during the dissemination of the Borno State Monitoring and Evaluation Readiness Assessment Report, the UNICEF Acting Chief of the Borno Field Office, Joseph Senesie, said the event marked a significant milestone in the efforts to strengthen governance, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making in the state.

“In a context as complex as Borno state, where challenges of conflict, displacement, and recovery intersect with aspirations for sustainable development, a robust monitoring and evaluation system is not just a tool. It is a necessity,” he said.

He further noted that the findings from the assessment provide a clear roadmap for strengthening the state’s monitoring and evaluation system.

“From enhancing data management processes to building the capacity of institutions, these recommendations are designed to ensure Borno State is equipped to monitor progress, learn from experiences, and adapt strategies for greater impact,” Senesie said.

Also speaking, the Borno State Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement, Arc. Isa Garba Halidu, said the initiative was necessary to enhance the implementation of projects.

“Not only in Borno State, monitoring and evaluation is universal. It is essential because it helps us to measure our level of performance and the effectiveness of programs and projects on the commoners,” he said.

Also, the Director of My IT Consulting Limited, Mubaraq Yusuf, said key findings from the report show that the state has a moderate readiness level for the result-based monitoring and evaluation system.

“This is an assessment we have embarked on since last year. You know, as one of the post-insurgency strategies, the Borno government launched a 25-year development plan. For the strategy to be effective, there must be a continuous monitoring and evaluation system to ensure evidence-based decision-making, give security constraints, leverage technology, strengthen local data collection, and align them with state budgeting and key priorities.

“After embarking on this data collection, we found that Borno State has a moderate readiness level for the result-based monitoring and evaluation system, while findings show that there are institutional and foundational structures.

He said, “With this, significant investment in capacity building, governance framework, and data management is necessary. If these are addressed, the state can effectively implement a result-based monitoring and evaluation system.”