By Chesa Chesa
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have convened the second edition of the Nigeria Accountability Summit in Abuja with a view to preferring strengthening transparency and collaboration among stakeholders in implementing public policies and programmes in the country.
The event which held between October 23rd and 24th, 2024 at the Yar’Adua Centre in the nation’s capital. brought together key stakeholders, including policymakers, industry experts, and civil society leaders, to address critical challenges impeding sustainable development in Nigeria, as discussions focused on identifying gaps in policy implementation, proposing sustainable solutions, and fostering collaborations to drive impactful change across multiple sectors.
Themed “Enhancing Accountability; Limiting Vulnerabilities,” the summit assessed the federal government’s 8-point agenda and related priority areas for subnational governments and addressed key challenges hindering effective policy implementation at both the national and subnational levels.
The summit, organized by the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) in partnership with BudgIT Foundation, Connected Development, Dataphyte, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Agora Policy, Public and Private Development Centre , Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Step Up Nigeria, Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development , Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER), United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (Nigeria), and the INTOSAI Development Initiative, highlighted the critical need for accountability in Nigeria’s development process.
In his opening address, Olusegun Elemo, Executive Director at Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, emphasized the importance of effective implementation of policies to improve development outcomes, noting yhat “since 2023, the federal and state governments have introduced several policies aimed at advancing the country. However, the effectiveness of these policy measures and their impact on lives of Nigerians remain contentious”.
He pointed out that the 2024 Summit placed particular focus on evaluating governments’ achievements and challenges in reforming the economy, strengthening national security, boosting agriculture, unlocking energy and natural resources, enhancing infrastructure, investing in human capital, accelerating diversification, and improving governance for better service delivery.
“The two-day summit provides the unique opportunity to assess policy measures across various sectors, identify gaps, and propose actionable solutions to accelerate change,” Elemo added.
Speakers at the event included Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, Chairman Editorial Board, ThisDay Newspaper; Mrs. Saudatu Mahdi (MFR), Secretary General at Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA); Prof. Timothy Oni, Head of Agriculture and Food Policy at NISER; Hon. Musa Bawa Bosso, Commissioner for Agriculture, Niger State; Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary at the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI); Jennis Anyanwu, Assistant Director, Gas Production and Utilization at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); and Fatima Bello Gummi, National President, Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON).
