Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The 2018 Budget Transparency Index for Nigerian States unveiled in Kaduna, yesterday, rated Jigawa, Kaduna and Lagos the best three in the country in budget transparency in line with Open Government Partnership (OGP) principle.
The Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), Enugu in partnership with Connecting Gender for development (COGEN), Kaduna with support from the Department for International Development (DFID) undertook the independent Sub-National Budget Transparency Survey (SNBTS) in 2018 to ensure transparency in public accountability. The survey, according to the Executive Director, COGEN, Ngukwase Surma, focused on four key indicators which are public availability of budget information, public participation in the budget process, public availability of procurement information and legal frameworks on access to budget information and fiscal responsibility.
The survey revealed, among others, that Nigerian states on the average provided minimal information on the budget and procurement processes with limited spaces for public participation. With a score of 87, Jigawa performs best on the index because they provide citizens with extensive budget information, has effective mechanism for public consultation through the budget processes.
Unveiling the document, Commissioner for Internal Security and Social Development, Samuel Aruwan said, the objective of Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s led administration has been to meet the needs of citizens and for them to have open access to budget information in a format that is accessible and easy to understand.