Malami: We’ve made progress in making government transparent

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), says technology has helped Nigeria become transparent and accountable in governance.

Speaking on Tuesday during the country visit of Open Government Partnership (OGP) international support unit to the country, Malami said the country has improved in terms of open contracting and tax transparency.

The minister of justice noted that government agencies and civil society organisations continue to deploy tech-based interactive platforms to engage citizens and government on various aspects of governance and service delivery.

“In open budget, the budget office in line with global best practice and open budget survey index developed the citizens’ iMonitor portal which enables citizens across the country to access budget information in real-time and to monitor projects while encouraging proactive feedback to the government, he said”

“The open contracting led to the Bureau of Public Procurement developing the Nigerian Open Contracting Portal which is designed to ensure improved transparency, prevent corruption and enhance active citizens’ participation through increased disclosure of information to stakeholders.

“The Nigeria OGP first National Action Plan is made up of 14 commitments around four thematic areas namely 1.Fiscal Transparency, 2. Anti-Corruption 3. Access to Information, and 4. Citizen Engagement.

“A lot of progress and achievements were recorded in the implementation of the first NAP. Lessons and learning also took place during the period of implementation.

“Nigeria experience with OGP has shown that technology and innovation play great roles in OGP process which leads to openness and accountability.

“While changing the ways in which citizens engage with government, empowering them and non-state actors to take a more active role in holding government accountable.”