Key Points
- BudgIT says its fiscal transparency initiatives have reached more than 22 million citizens.
- The organisation has tracked 19,644 projects worth N8.5 trillion across 7,589 communities.
- It says more than 11,800 monitored projects worth N3.5 trillion have been completed.
- BudgIT says its civic technology tools have improved access to public finance information.
Main Story
BudgIT Foundation says its work on public finance and citizen participation has reached more than 22 million people as the organisation marks 15 years of operation.
The civic-tech organisation disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a press briefing held to commemorate its anniversary.
Country Director, Vahyala Kwaga, said BudgIT had expanded from its Nigerian roots into a pan-African organisation with activities in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal, alongside its office in Washington, D.C.
He said the organisation’s approach had centred on turning complicated government financial information into material that ordinary citizens could understand and use.
Kwaga said BudgIT’s digital platforms, including Tracka and GovSpend, had enabled citizens and the media to follow public spending, government projects and budget information.
He said the organisation had also used its State of States Fiscal Report and fiscal transparency league table to push state governments towards greater disclosure of their finances.
According to him, BudgIT’s community monitoring programme has followed 19,644 projects with a combined value of N8.5 trillion across 7,589 communities.
He said the monitoring effort had recorded the completion of more than 11,800 projects valued at N3.5 trillion, covering areas such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
Kwaga added that the organisation had held thousands of town hall meetings as part of efforts to get citizens directly involved in governance.
He said BudgIT had also supported media and civil society organisations with training in areas including data analysis, governance and policy engagement.
The organisation’s work, he added, had increasingly taken an international dimension, including initiatives focused on tracking COVID-19 resources and examining health-sector accountability in African countries.
The Issues
BudgIT said limited access to clear information on public finances can weaken citizens’ ability to monitor government spending and demand accountability.
What’s Being Said
“The completed projects have benefited more than 11.5 million Nigerians across different communities.” – Vahyala Kwaga, Country Director, BudgIT Foundation.
What’s Next
BudgIT’s 15th anniversary activities will include community engagements, reflections and public conversations throughout September, culminating in the anniversary celebration on Sept. 13.
Bottom Line
BudgIT says its expansion of civic technology, project monitoring and public finance initiatives is aimed at giving more citizens the information and tools needed to participate in governance and demand accountability.
