Connected Development (CODE) has launched Project Trust in Osun State with the aim of empowering marginalised communities by collaborating with government and other public institutions to strengthen service delivery.
The project seeks to create platforms for dialogue to facilitate informed debates between citizens and governments, thereby improving access to information.
It also focuses on building the capacity of citizens to hold their elected representatives and government accountable.
CODE, a Civil Society Organisation, recently trained stakeholders in Osun State to kickstart the program in the southwest state.
Ruth Okafor, CODE’s Program Associate, addressed stakeholders in Osogbo, highlighting that the project, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, has successfully operated in Kaduna State since 2017.
Given its success, the expansion to other states became imperative, and Osun State was chosen as one of the initial states for Project Trust implementation.
Okafor noted that in Kaduna State alone, over NGN 9 Billion has been tracked across 84 projects in 55 communities, benefiting a population of 3,801,682 people across three Senatorial Zones.
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Speaking on the presence of state laws pertaining to citizen involvement in fiscal governance, Okafor disclosed that a preliminary survey yielded significant results. It was found that 82% of respondents in Osun State lacked awareness of such laws, while 18% indicated some level of knowledge.
In terms of holding legislators accountable, the survey highlighted that 73% of respondents had not actively sought accountability from legislators.
“In demanding accountability from legislators, the survey revealed that 73% of respondents did not demand accountability from legislators, while 27% reported having done so in Osun State. These findings provide valuable insights into the level of engagement and expectations of citizens regarding legislative accountability within Osun state.
While presenting the overview of Project Trust, Oladeji Alabi said the Project focuses on enhancing social accountability processes and advocating for transparency and accountability in six states across Nigeria, with one state per geo-political zone.
These states, according to him, include Kwara, Anambra, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Yobe, and Osun.
In attendance at the training are members of Civil Society Organizations, Community-Based Organizations, Media representatives, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) & organizations focused on PWDs.
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