Bukola Afeni
Stakeholders of Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership has called on governments at all levels, civil society organisations and citizens to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen participation as the 2026 Open Government Week concluded on Friday.
The call was contained in a public statement signed by Princess Hamman-Obels, Director of IRIAD-The Electoral Hub, to mark the conclusion of the week-long commemoration themed, “Reflect, Rethink, and Redouble Collective Efforts.”
She noted that the 2026 edition also coincided with the celebration of 15 years of the Open Government Partnership globally and 10 years of OGP Nigeria’s commitment to advancing transparency, inclusion, accountability and citizen participation.
According to her, activities held during the week included press conference, awareness walk, podcast, social media campaigns and virtual policy dialogues aimed at deepening public understanding of open governance and Nigeria’s commitments under the OGP framework.
The group highlighted several achievements recorded under the initiative at the national level, including the launch of the Citizens’ Delivery Tracker, a platform designed to enable citizens monitor the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, track projects and provide feedback in real time.
Other reforms listed included the establishment of the Beneficial Ownership Register for corporate and extractive companies, the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal, OGP/States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability reforms, improved compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, the launch of Eyemark, participatory budgeting processes and the deployment of a Permanent Dialogue Mechanism.
The statement added that the reforms were targeted at improving citizens’ engagement in governance and strengthening the relationship between government and civil society organisations.
“At the State level, 28 States, four Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory and one LGA each in Anambra and Kaduna States are now part of the OGP Subnational Initiative,” the statement said.
It, however, expressed concern that eight states, Borno, Kwara, Benue, Ogun, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, were yet to join the initiative, while only six out of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas had signed up.
The statement stressed that the end of Open Government Week should serve as “a call to action” rather than the end of discussions on open governance.
It urged the Federal Government to immediately sign and implement the OGP National Action Plan IV, backed with sustainable funding and stronger political commitment across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“The Federal Government must lead by example, showing that open governance is not just a commitment on paper but a lived reality in Nigeria’s democratic practice,” the statement added.
The group also called on the eight states yet to join the initiative to sign up without delay, while urging participating states to fully implement the OGP framework through the development and funding of State Action Plans.
Civil society organisations were encouraged to continue holding government accountable and amplifying citizens’ voices, while Nigerians were urged to remain actively engaged in governance by demanding transparency and using the Citizens’ Delivery Portal to submit complaints, suggestions and feedback.
