The UK government has announced the approval of a £12 million new funding as support to Nigeria to help deepen its implementation of open government reform commitments.
The UK Ambassador to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, disclosed this in Abuja at the opening of the 2018 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Week.
Mr Arkwright, who was the special guest speaker at the event said Nigeria’s progress since joining the 70-member countries OGP in 2016 has been commendable and deserved the continued support of the UK government.
The ambassador, who described the UK as the proud global leader on transparency and accountability, identified the OGP as an important part of its agenda. Open government is the process of engaging with civil society and the citizens’ in a transparent and accountable partnership to promote democratic, equal, sustainable and prosperous society.
Noting transparency as a principle that does not stop at national borders, Mr Arkwright commended five states of the federation that have so far signed up to the OGP, to deepen sub-national transparency in the country..
Urging more states to emulate these, the Ambassador assured that the UK government would continue to support Nigeria to ”engage, reform and learn”.
He said the government would also lend its facility to support the country’s effort to open up governance, legislature other institutions’ work for scrutiny work and allow citizens hold them accountable