In furtherance of its commitment to onboard local government areas under the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), under its project “Promoting Transparency and Accountability in the Governance Process Through the Implementation of Open Government Partnership in Nigeria,” commenced a two-day workshop on July 24, 2024, for the development of the OGP Local Action Plan for Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
Kwali Area Council is the third FCT Area Council after AMAC and Gwagwalada to benefit from the Centre LSD – led OGP program in Nigeria.
A press statement released by the Programme Coordinator of Centre LSD, Mr. Lawal Amodu, stated that the two-day event is expected to produce a two-year plan that will guide the Area Council in the implementation of the OGP principle.
He noted that for the Area Council to succeed in its drive for open governance prescribed by the OGP, it is important to develop an action plan that will show in detail the clear steps and processes towards achieving the objective of the OGP. The statement noted that for the purpose of developing the action plan, 22 participants, made up of top Council actors and civil society players with the knowledge of OGP, have been invited to participate in the event.
He recalled that the Kwali Area Council actors were sensitized to the OGP through advocacy and orientation workshops, which ultimately led to the Council’s declaration of its intent to join the OGP.
According to him, the open government partnership is hinged on the principles of co-creation, where both local government actors and civil society engage in the development process in a manner that brings much-desired development and service delivery to the people.
The objective of signing up to the OGP is to make the governance process open, transparent, accountable and citizen-driven.
“Centre LSD wishes to congratulate the Council for electing to join the global partnership, which is governed by four key principles: transparency, accountability, citizen Participation and technology and innovation,” the statement said.
The nongovernmental organization enjoined well-meaning citizens to engage with the Centre LSD OGP Project through the following social media channels: Hashtag #OGPOpenNigeria; Facebook: @centrelsd; Instagram: @centrelsd; Twitter: @centrelsd.
