By: Aisha Mohammed
Sustaining citizens engagement and capacity building have been identified as essential tools for success in promoting social accountability strategies and empowering citizens to drive initiatives that inspire transparent governance.
Country Director, OXFAM Nigeria, John Makina made this assertion at a 3-Day meeting on Open Governance Partnership and Community Development Planning, State Exchange Learning and Experience Sharing in Yola-Adamawa State.
Declaring the meeting open, Country Director OXFAM Nigeria, John Makina, represented by the Deputy Country Director Regina Afiemo, reaffirmed Oxfam’s commitment in promoting social accountability strategies and empowering citizens to drive initiatives that inspire transparent governance.
Makina who is also the Director Program, further explained that through this approach, the project has inspired the development of a state-functional agricultural policy and facilitated Open Governance Partnership sign-on and budget mentoring.
He therefore stressed the need to sustain the gains to foster increased community actions and greater civic space in rural areas.
Members of the Open Governance Partnership Committee from Kaduna, Taraba and Adamawa States shared their experiences and exchanged learning on challenges and approaches used in achieving the success recorded with the Open Governance Partnership, OGP, project.
High point of the engagement was a field trip to the Adamawa State Planning Commission, Yola and Gombi Local Government Area.
At the end of the 3-day meeting, a communique was drafted and signed by delegates from the three states of Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna and OXFAM Nigeria, aimed to collaboratively work towards addressing the bottle necks in implementing projects, enhancing political will and sensitizing citizens on the need to elect leaders that will deliver dividends of democracy to the grassroots community.
