The National Secretariat of OGP has commended Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for sustained political commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation through the Open Government Partnership initiative.
The commendation after the election of the Civil Society representatives into the Kano State OGP Steering Committee and Thematic Working Groups, held in Kano.
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The Civil Society Adviser to the OGP National Secretariat, Uchenna Arisukwu, who represented the national secretariat to monitor and coordinate the election, described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and participatory.
Arisukwu explained that the election was conducted to ensure that credible civil society representatives emerged through a democratic process in line with the core principles of OGP, which emphasize inclusion, participation and accountability.
According to him, the Open Government Partnership operates through three key structures—the Steering Committee, Thematic Working Groups and the OGP Secretariat—at both the national and sub-national levels, making the election of civil society representatives an important component of the initiative.
He said Kano had distinguished itself as one of the leading OGP states in Nigeria due to the strong political will demonstrated by the state government.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance through the revitalization of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in the state.
The State Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Open Government and Accountability Policies, Musaddiq Adam, stated this on shortly after inauguration of civil society representatives into the Kano State OGP Steering Committee and thematic working groups.
According to him, the successful conduct of the election demonstrates Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s commitment to building an open, transparent and participatory government.
“What you are witnessing today is one of the outcomes of His Excellency’s efforts to ensure accountability, transparency and inclusiveness in governance,” Adam said.
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He explained that civil society organisations across the state participated in electing members of the State Steering Committee and thematic leads who will work alongside government representatives to drive the implementation of the OGP agenda.
Adam disclosed that the governor had earlier appointed five commissioners, four permanent secretaries and a director to represent the government in the Kano State OGP Secretariat.
The officials will collaborate with the newly elected civil society representatives to implement reforms across key thematic areas, including access to information, access to justice, citizens’ engagement, anti-corruption, public service delivery and climate change.
He said the service delivery agenda focuses on improving agriculture, water supply, education and healthcare, while the anti-corruption component is designed to strengthen reforms that complement the work of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission and enhance its effectiveness.
The coordinator noted that the governor had also approved the Kano State OGP State Action Plan, which provides the framework for implementing the partnership’s commitments.
He added that the establishment of the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement was one of the achievements linked to the OGP reform process, with the Commissioner for Public Procurement currently serving as the government’s Co-Chair of the partnership.
Adam recalled that Governor Yusuf had pledged to revive and strengthen the Open Government Partnership before assuming office, adding that the administration has demonstrated its commitment through strategic appointments and sustained support for the initiative.
“I was among the pioneer members of the Open Government Partnership in 2018, and we have worked tirelessly to promote the initiative. His Excellency brought me back to coordinate the activities in Kano State, which reflects his commitment to transparency, accountability, citizen participation and youth inclusion,” he said.
He further revealed that Kano State has significantly improved its standing within the national OGP framework, moving from 11th position to fourth since the current administration assumed responsibility for the initiative in December.
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The newly elected Civil Society Co-Chair of the Kano State OGP, Abdulrahman Abdul identified awareness creation and capacity building as part of immediate priorities, noting that many civil society organisations still have limited knowledge of how OGP operates.