Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to establishing a strong governance system and rebuilding citizens’ trust,Daily Trust reports.
She made this statement on Tuesday during a panel discussion at the Closeout Event of the Partnership to Engage, Reform, and Learn (PERL) Programme in Abuja.
PERL is an eight-year public-sector accountability and governance initiative funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
During the discussion, Bala Usman highlighted that to earn citizens’ trust, the administration has introduced innovative tools like the Citizen Delivery Tracker. This platform allows citizens to monitor the progress of ministerial projects and provide feedback on government initiatives.
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She emphasized the importance of consistent citizen engagement, explaining, “When you campaign, you interact closely with the people, but once elected, there tends to be a disconnect. This administration is focused on bridging that gap, ensuring citizens have a voice in governance. Citizens must be able to comment on our work, and we must value their input to improve the delivery of our mandate.”
She also pointed to the Open Government Partnership as another key tool for encouraging dialogue between the government and the public.
Bala Usman added that President Tinubu is particularly committed to citizen-centric governance, with feedback from the Citizen Delivery Tracker being shared directly with him via a dashboard installed in his office.
Cynthia Rowe, Development Director at the British High Commission’s FCDO, also spoke, emphasizing Nigeria’s critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She noted that successes in states like Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa have increased citizen participation in budget transparency, with two of these states ranked among the most transparent by national and World Bank assessments.
Rowe also acknowledged PERL’s contributions to constitutional reforms that have bolstered state legislative autonomy and accountability, and she reaffirmed the UK’s support for Nigeria through initiatives like the Nigeria Governance and Climate Programme (NGCP).
Ifeanyi Peter Ugwuoke, National Programme Manager for PERL-ARC (Accountable, Responsible, and Capable Pillar), and John Mutu, Team Leader for PERL-ECP (Engaged Citizens Pillar), reflected on the program’s accomplishments. They highlighted its focus on governance systems, public policy, finance, and administration across six states in the Southwest, six in the Southeast, and three in the Northeast, in addition to its federal-level engagement.
