States urged to strengthen accountability in governance

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), British High Commission, and stakeholders in Nigeria’s public sector have urged governments at the state level to prioritise accountability and transparency in governance to enhance essential services delivery to citizens.

Speaking at the Nigeria Accountability Summit 2024, on Wednesday, Chris Okeke, head of governance at the FCDO, emphasised the importance of sub-national accountability for Nigeria’s sustainable development.

“Often, in Nigeria here, we always point fingers at the federal government and we forget about the role of sub-national governments in the delivery of basic services.

“We need to shine the spotlight at that sub-national level. I know that the local government level is starting, we need to dig deep. We need to get to that level where, as they say, the rubber hits the road, where the action happens so that we can make a difference in the lives of our people”, he said.”

Amina Saliu, representing the MacArthur Foundation, urged the Nigerian government to leverage technology in promoting transparency and accountability.

“We’re learning that when you have greater interface using technology with citizens, it’s a whole lot easier to limit vulnerabilities and to elevate all of those matters of accountability that we seek. So, we continue to urge Nigerian leaders,” she stated.

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Saliu also referenced a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The survey revealed that while 70 percent of Nigerians would prefer not to pay a bribe, approximately N700 billion was still paid in bribes over the past year.

“This is alarming and signals the scale of the challenge we are facing,” she noted.

She further stressed the importance of Nigeria taking ownership of its developmental progress: “The MacArthur Foundation can invest one dollar or one billion dollars, but unless Nigerians themselves drive the necessary change, nothing meaningful will happen.”

Musa Ali, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), underscored the collective responsibility of stakeholders to ensure accountability.

“As we assess the progress made towards achieving government priorities, we must remember that accountability is more than just a concept—it is a shared responsibility. Every stakeholder present today has a vital role to play in rebuilding a culture where public trust is sacrosanct, and principles of integrity, justice, and transparency are upheld,” Ali said.

Olusegun Elemo, executive director of Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), highlighted the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s challenges.

“We do not have a hopeless sense that the Nigerian situation is so bad and impossible to deal with. What we are very sure about is that the clock is ticking on us as the most populous black nation on earth and one on whose shoulder the aspiration of the rest of the African continent rests. Hence the need to continuously and effectively address the myriads of problems in our society”, Elemo said.