The Kano State Government has restated its determination to promote transparency, accountability and greater public involvement in governance through the Open Government Partnership (OGP) framework.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abba Yusuf on OGP, Musaddiq Kabir-Hassan, disclosed this after the election of non-state actors into the partnership structure on Thursday in Kano.
Kabir-Hassan said the governor had earlier appointed five commissioners, four permanent secretaries and a director to represent the government in the OGP process.
He explained that the officials would collaborate with representatives from civil society organisations to address key areas of governance, including access to information, justice, public participation, anti-corruption efforts, effective service delivery and climate action.
“The governor wants a complete transformation of these important and innovative sectors. In service delivery, we are focusing on agriculture, education, water supply and healthcare,” he said.
According to him, the administration is also working towards establishing a framework that would guarantee full independence for the state’s Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission.
“Within the next three months, many projects driven by the OGP will become visible,” Kabir-Hassan assured.
The Civil Society Adviser for OGP Nigeria, Uchenna Arisukwu, praised the governor’s commitment, noting that the success of the initiative depends largely on political support.
“OGP thrives only when there is political will,” Arisukwu said, adding that Governor Yusuf had shown interest in the programme even before taking office.
Meanwhile, the newly elected co-chair of civil society organisations for Kano’s OGP, Abdulrahman Abdu, promised to unite CSOs and strengthen their participation in the initiative.
Abdu noted that many civil society groups still lack adequate knowledge about the OGP, stressing that its success requires cooperation and dedication from both government and non-government actors.
(NAN)