In response to the July 11 Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs), the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity organized a capacity-building workshop at the Zaria Local Government Area. This initiative targeted members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Zaria Branch, to equip them with the tools and knowledge to bolster the fight against corruption.
The workshop was conceived out of concern that financial autonomy, while a significant step towards decentralized governance, also brings the critical responsibility of ensuring that allocated funds are managed transparently and judiciously.
As the inaugural edition of this program, which will be extended to other regions and LGAs, the workshop focused on enhancing the participants’ ability to utilize the Transparency and Integrity Index. This Index is a powerful tool designed to promote access to information as a fundamental human right and to empower citizens and professionals to demand transparency and accountability from local government authorities.
Participants were also introduced to the Center’s Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Monitoring Mechanism, an innovative tool that tracks Nigeria’s adherence to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). This mechanism serves as a critical resource for advocacy, enabling CSOs to monitor and influence the implementation of anti-corruption measures effectively.
The session underscored the vital role of journalists and legal professionals as accountability advocates in their communities. It emphasized their responsibility to hold government officials accountable, ensure efficient governance, and promote transparency at the grassroots level.
The Center remains committed to supporting these professionals in their ongoing efforts to enhance public integrity and fight corruption across Nigeria.