Kaduna State has recorded major progress in its Open Government Partnership (OGP) reforms, completing 10 out of 12 milestones under its third State Action Plan (SAP-3).
The milestones, achieved under the Strengthening Participatory Budgeting Process (SPBP) commitment, were coordinated by the OGP Technical Working Group (TWG) in collaboration with the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission.
Speaking on the progress, co-chairman of the TWG, Luke Seth Kuyet, said the reforms have opened up the budgeting process and improved citizens’ involvement in decision-making.
“We are closing the gap between government and citizens. People’s inputs now influence what goes into the state budget,” he said.
According to him, through the Citizens’ Demand Portal, residents are now able to submit development priorities directly to the state government.
Kaduna has continued to publish quarterly budget performance reports and citizens’ versions of its budget online, a move Kuyet said has helped residents monitor government spending.
He further said that the state has also developed a Citizens Accountability Report (CAR), jointly prepared by the Ministry of Finance and the Planning and Budget Commission, to simplify fiscal information for public understanding.
In another landmark step, Kuyet said Kaduna became the first state in Nigeria to introduce a Citizens Participatory Audit (CPA) Framework, allowing residents to take part in the auditing of government projects.
“This means transparency is no longer a slogan. Citizens now help verify how public funds are used”.
Kuyet added that the state has also deepened youth inclusion through the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub, where young people are trained to analyse budgets and track government projects.
He noted that this contributed to a record number of youth participants at the 2025 public budget hearing, adding that it reflects growing civic engagement among young citizens.
According to Kuyet, only two milestones remain under the SAP-3 commitment — hosting of pre-budget public forums using the State Integrated Plan (SIP) and full implementation of audit recommendations.
He called on the Kaduna Planning and Budget Commission to conclude the remaining items and urged the House of Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to fast-track review and enforcement of audit reports.
