Federal Govt Should Deepen Transparency, Accountability Via Open Govt Partnership—Coordinator

The national coordinator of Open Government Partnership (OGP), Dr. Gloria Ahmed, has stressed the need to deepen the implementation of the Third National Action Plan (NAP III) to set the groundwork for shaping Nigeria’s future in open government.

Dr. Ahmed stated this in Abuja yesterday at the opening of a two-day open government partnership thematic working groups meeting.

“In this meeting, we can deliberate on effectively implementing the Third National Action Plan (NAP III), which is already in motion. It is essential to acknowledge that this plan sets the groundwork for shaping Nigeria’s future in open government, and its implementation relies heavily on our collective efforts.

“Let us remember that the Thematic Working Group meetings serve as a platform to discuss and strategise on various aspects of the NAP, addressing challenges and seeking innovative solutions to advance our goals,” she said.

Ahmed underscored the importance of collaboration between state and non-state actors and with the OGP Secretariat to ensure the realization of the set objectives.

She said the Thematic Working Groups remain central and critical in translating the commitment of the National Action Plan into tangible results. 

“The TWG members are responsible for transforming ambitious reform ideas into concrete achievements, making them indispensable catalysts that blend stakeholders’ inputs into visible outcomes in implementing OGP commitments,” she said.

The national coordinator of the OGP harped on the importance of consistently collating accurate and relevant data to clear the path to track progress and make informed decisions for positive outcomes, as Nigeria aims for a higher score in the country’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM), a metric that reflects the country commitment to transparency and accountability.

In her remarks, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe, who was represented by the director of public communication, Mr. Sunday Baba said the ministry was set to provide adequate publicity for the laudable initiative in order to secure the buy-in of all relevant stakeholders as well as carry the citizens along in the implementing of open governance for enhanced transparency and accountability.

The meeting was being organised by the OGP secretariat with the support of FCDO-PERL and CISLAC.