The Initiative for Grassroots Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) has called for deeper collaboration between civil society and government to strengthen legislative openness and improve governance in Kogi State.
This was part of the resolutions contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day inception meeting of the *Strengthening Legislative Openness and Oversight Project for Improved Governance in Kogi State (Kogi LOOP)*, held in Lokoja.
Our Kogi State Correspondent, reports that the project is sponsored by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, members of the House Standing Committee on Information, the Deputy Clerk and Committee Clerk, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, representatives of the State Steering Committee, Non-State Actors (NSA) of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), youth groups, and media practitioners.
In its observations, INGRA noted that the legislature remains the fulcrum of representative democracy, stressing that the Kogi State House of Assembly has demonstrated vibrancy and openness by involving citizens and civic groups in its legislative processes.
However, the communiqué also highlighted persistent governance challenges, particularly limited citizen participation due to poor access to government-held information and weak engagement between state agencies and citizens, which often undermines service delivery.
The meeting resolved, among other points, that civil society and government must strengthen their co-creation partnership under the OGP framework. It further recommended that the cordial relationship between civil society organizations and the State Assembly be sustained to deepen citizens’ access to legislative information.
Other resolutions include: Establishment of a Liaison Officer and Civil Society Desk Officer under the LOOP Project within the House of Assembly, Development of a Service Delivery Charter for selected ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to guide oversight functions and improve accountability and Provision of airtime for lawmakers on Radio Nigeria PRIME FM 101.5 to engage citizens on constituency and legislative activities.
Executive Director of INGRA, Hamza Aliyu, described the initiative as a strategic step toward empowering citizens and ensuring inclusive governance in Kogi State.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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