In furtherance with its commitment to onboard Local Government Areas unto 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” on 13th June 2024, commenced a two-day workshop for the development of OGP Local Action Plan for Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.
A press statement released by the Programme Coordinator of Centre LSD, Mr. Lawal Amodu, stated that the two days event is expected to produce a plan that will guide the Area Council in the implementation of the OGP for the next two years. He noted that having signed on to the OGP, it is incumbent to develop an action plan that will show the details of how the objective of the OGP will be achieved in the Council when implemented. The statement also pointed out that a total of 22 participants made up of top Council Actors, Civil society Actors who have been sufficiently bequeathed with the knowledge of OGP, will lead in the development of the action plan.
He recalled that the Gwagwalada Area Council actors were sensitized on the OGP through advocacy and orientation workshops which ultimately led to the Council declaring its intent to join the OGP and subsequent signing up to its principles. The open government partnership according to him, is hinged on the principles of Co-creation where both local government actors and the civil society engage the development process in a manner that brings the much-desired development to the people.
Gwagwalada Area Council joined the OGP in late 2023 and is the second local government in Nigeria to embrace the principles after AMAC. The objective of signing up to the OGP is to make governance process in the area open, transparent, accountable and citizens driven. Centre LSD wishes to congratulate the Council for electing to join the global partnership which is governed by four key principles: Transparency, Accountability, Citizens Participation and Technology and Innovation.
The statement enjoined well-meaning citizens to engage the Centre LSD OGP Project through the various social media.
