Abuja: The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to open governance, accountability, and youth inclusion in the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
The Minister of Youth Development and Global OGP Co-Chair, Ayodele Olawande, gave the assurance during a dinner with civil society organisations and the OGP Secretariat in Abuja.
Olawande added that instilling strong values, value-driven leadership, and civic consciousness in the country’s youths was key to building a stronger and more united nation.
He said that the President Bola Tinubu administration was implementing reforms that also accommodate the youth.
“We can only make reforms if we look at the future, not the present. And we are excited to build on the OGP framework to sustain and improve these reforms.
“We believe that young people have an important role to play in shaping the future of any country,” Olawande said.
The minister commended the government for being part of the movement and all the stakeholders for their support.
“I assure you that Nigeria is very ready to honour part of this global agreement.
“As a minister of youth, I am happy to see the connection between development and open borders,” Olawande said.
Also speaking, the former Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba, said the OGP was about transparency and stability.
He said that OGP needs proper funding to thrive. “As a country, we cannot continue to depend on others to perform activities if we genuinely believe in co-creation. Agba commended President Tinubu for his leadership and reforms.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the OGP Global Support Unit, Mr Aiden Eyakuze, said that the civil society engagement through the OGP platform has proven to be a vital mechanism for regular interaction between ministries and non-state actors.
” The role of the OGP secretariat has been invaluable; without their support, we would not have achieved the milestones we celebrate today. “We must acknowledge and thank our elders and stakeholders whose wisdom continues to guide us,” Eyakuze said.
Nigeria joined the OGP initiative in 2016 and has been working to implement reform commitments in relevant thematic areas. Each member country co-creates (equal partnership between government and civil society organisations) its National Action Plans (NAPs) with ambitious reform commitments.
Nigeria’s OGP commitments cover areas like fiscal transparency, extractive transparency, access to information, anti-corruption, and improved public service delivery.
Nigeria has developed NAPs, outlining specific commitments and activities for open government reform.