By Abubakar Ibrahim Gombe
In a bold push for institutional reform and better service delivery, Muktar Umar, Chief Health Education Officer (CHEO) and PhD (in view), has called for the urgent establishment of a Directorate of Planning, Research, and Statistics (PRS) within the Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
Mr Muktar, a former Deputy Director of the Agency who is currently pursuing his PhD in Public Health Education and Promotion noted that The proposed directorate, if established, is expected to become the strategic engine room for the agency—driving evidence-based planning, monitoring, evaluation, data management, and policy development for over 700,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
“This is not merely an administrative upgrade—it’s a necessary transformation,” Umar stated. “Without a PRS Directorate, there can be no true accountability, effective budgeting, or long-term program sustainability for disability services in Bauchi State.”
Why a PRS Directorate Matters
According to Umar, the Planning, Research, and Statistics Directorate would:
- Track and monitor all projects and interventions
- Maintain a comprehensive, real-time disability database
- Ensure transparency in public resource utilization
- Conduct policy research to identify and address service delivery gaps
- Lead training, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement
- Attract donor funding, including support from the World Bank and development partners
A Gateway to Global Standards and Donor Support
With increasing international attention on disability inclusion and development financing, formalizing the PRS directorate would position the Bauchi Agency to access technical and financial resources from global institutions and non-governmental bodies committed to inclusive development.
“Bauchi cannot afford to remain reactive. A proactive, data-driven, and research-informed disability policy structure is what will attract real results—and real funding,” Umar emphasized.
A Timely and Strategic Reform for Bauchi State
Establishing the PRS directorate would mainstream disability into the state’s development priorities, elevate the agency’s operational credibility, and ensure that PWDs are no longer invisible in planning or budgeting processes.
“It’s time to move from ad hoc interventions to structured, evidence-based service delivery,” said Umar. “This is how we transform the lives of persons with disabilities—and build an accountable, inclusive future for all.”
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