Anambra East local government area of Anambra State has announced its membership in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) at the local level, a significant step in its journey towards transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
This was made known in a release signed by the co-founder, Centre for Inclusive Social Development, Folahan Johnson.
Accounding to the statement, this considerable achievement has been made possible through the unwavering support of the Centre for Inclusive Social Development.
“The OGP Local initiative offers a unique platform for collaboration between local governments and citizens, addressing crucial issues such as building citizen-centric public services, tackling corruption, and protecting civic space. Anambra East is poised to harness this partnership to enhance services like healthcare, education, and access to clean water by opening data and directly involving the public in decision-making.
“Selected from 138 applications, Anambra East is joining a network of leaders who work with citizens and civil society organizations to implement action plans tailored to their local contexts to improve their communities using open government approaches. It is important to note that Anambra East is the only LGA in Nigeria and part of the under 20 Local governments across Africa admitted to join this global partnership after a careful post-application selection.”
It added that “as part of its OGP commitments, Anambra East is committed to combatting corruption through a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, and sanction.
“This involves establishing registries to expose company ownership and opening up contracting systems to ensure fair competition. Moreover, the local government will prioritize safeguarding civic space and ensuring inclusive participation, particularly for women and other under-represented groups.
It also said that “Anambra East is committed to opening up data and promoting fair access to information, removing barriers and enabling proactive disclosure. Digital tools will play a crucial role in revitalizing government services and soliciting citizen input in policymaking, with necessary safeguards in place to protect against misuse and threats to democratic processes.”
The chairman of Anamabra East Local Government, Dr. Anselm Onuorah, expressed “his gratitude to the Centre for Inclusive Social Development and all stakeholders for their support, dedication, and commitment to building a more open and inclusive community. Together, Anambra East looks forward to shaping the future of its beloved community through collaborative and participatory governance.”
The Open Government Partnership provides a space for open government leaders to form coalitions that drive change in their contexts, to learn from each other, and to collaborate with peers from around the world to deliver better policies for citizens. As of 2024, members of OGP Local have co-created more than 120 action plans and committed to implementing more than 475 open government initiatives.
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