The Kogi State Open Government Partnership (OGP) has held a one-day Charter of Service Development Workshop in Lokoja aimed at strengthening citizen-centred governance and institutionalizing transparency and accountability across the state’s public service.
The workshop, held on Monday at the Conference Room of the Office of the Head of Service, brought together permanent secretaries from key ministries to develop frameworks defining service standards, performance expectations, and accountability mechanisms in line with Open Government Partnership (OGP) and SERVICOM principles.
Coordinated by the Kogi OGP Secretariat, the session formed part of the state’s ongoing efforts to entrench citizen participation and public accountability through the Open Governance and Service Charter Implementation Agenda.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Idris Ozovehe Muraina, Executive Director of the Renaissance Care and Empowerment Foundation (RECEF) and OGP Co-Chair (Non-State Actors), described the workshop as a significant stride in operationalizing Kogi State’s commitment to open governance and service excellence.
Muraina explained that the Charter of Service represents a shift from traditional bureaucratic routines to citizen-responsive administration, where every ministry becomes accountable to defined service standards.
“This workshop is about redefining governance through openness and partnership. Every ministry must clearly state its service commitments, outline delivery timelines, and establish citizen feedback mechanisms. That is how we rebuild public trust,” Muraina stated.
He also read excerpts from Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s foreword in the Kogi State Open Government Action Plan, reaffirming the administration’s dedication to strengthening transparency, accountability, and citizen participation under the OGP and SERVICOM frameworks.
Muraina further emphasized the pivotal role of the Kogi State, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris (FCA), who serves as Co-Chair (State Actors) on the Kogi OGP Steering Committee.
He commended the Commissioner’s leadership in aligning fiscal management, budget transparency, and service delivery reforms with the OGP’s broader objectives, describing his office as the nucleus of the state’s open governance drive.
“The Honourable Commissioner for Finance has been a consistent partner in driving fiscal transparency and accountability reforms. His leadership ensures that OGP principles become practical instruments for development and responsive governance,” Muraina added.
Delivering the technical roadmap for the workshop, Hamza Aliyu, Executive Director of the Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) and OGP Co-Chair (Non-State Actors), alongside Amb. Idris Muraina, provided detailed technical guidance and insight on the process of establishing the Kogi State SERVICOM within the Office of the Head of Service.
The two OGP Non-State Actors outlined practical steps to ensure that the SERVICOM Unit functions as the coordinating hub for service improvement, citizen feedback, and performance accountability. They emphasized that the unit’s creation would anchor the implementation of service charters across all ministries, in alignment with OGP principles.
Aliyu further presented a three-step technical roadmap for developing ministry-specific service charters which includes, Mapping public-facing service processes,
Embedding citizen feedback and complaint-resolution mechanisms, and Establishing measurable service-delivery indicators tied to performance outcomes.
He stressed that the Charter of Service and SERVICOM Unit are not bureaucratic formalities, but transformative tools for responsive governance that empower citizens to hold public institutions accountable.
The Head of the Kogi OGP Secretariat, Ebenezer Bayode, lauded participants for their commitment and urged ministries to sustain momentum in achieving OGP reforms.
He cautioned that while progress had been recorded in some areas, only consistent follow-up and effective coordination through the SERVICOM framework would yield the desired results.
“We must move from planning to performance. Every ministry should ensure its Service Charter aligns with SERVICOM principles and OGP values. This is how we create a public service that is open, responsive, and accountable to citizens,” Bayode stated.
At the close of the workshop, participants adopted an eight-week timeline for ministries to submit their draft Charters of Service, saying that Templates and technical support will be provided by INGRA and RECEF to ensure uniformity and compliance with OGP standards.
Organisers described the initiative as foundational to deeper institutional reforms under the Kogi State Open Government Action Plan, focusing on fiscal transparency, access to information, service delivery, and extractive sector accountability.
