ProjectTrust: CODE Rolls Out New Tool for Transparency, Accountability in Governance
- Connected Development (CODE) has rolled out a new initiative to build the capacity of journalists and stakeholders in the development sector
- This initiative is tagged #ProjectTrust and was rolled out to help focus on social accountability and transparency
- The initiative is expected to guarantee Nigerians the dividend of democracy and play a substantial role in the country's political progress
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja - In a bid to ensure accountability and transparency in governance, Connected Development (CODE) rolled out the #ProjectTrust initiative to build the capacity of journalists and other stakeholders in the development sector.
The event attended by Legit.ng was held at the Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja on Tuesday and Thursday, January 23 and 24.
Source: Twitter
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, spoke at a retreat supported by the McArthur Foundation, highlighting Project Trust's focus on fostering social accountability and transparency.
The objective is to ensure that the Nigerian people benefit from democratic dividends and to contribute significantly to Nigeria's political journey.
Lawal emphasised that the retreat revolves around the iFollowTheMoney model, designed to provide participants with the necessary skills to monitor financial transactions, promote transparency, and enhance accountability in governance.
This event underscores CODE's dedication to constructing impactful systems that empower communities.
Hamzat emphasised that over three years, the DeSPAAC project in Kaduna state has successfully monitored the allocation of more than 9 billion naira across 84 projects spanning 56 communities.
The success story of previous accountability project
This initiative has impacted a population of 3,801,682 people, covering three senatorial zones in Kaduna state. The project has generated 228 media publications, reaching 4.9 million people, and has established 18 community monitoring teams.
He highlighted that ProjectTrust represents an expansion of the DeSPAAC project, as DeSPAAC was limited to Kaduna state.
In contrast, ProjectTrust will be rolled out across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria, including states such as Kwara, Bayelsa, Anambra, Osun, Yobe, and Jigawa.
Speaking to Legit.ng on the side, the country director of the McArthur Foundation, Kole Ahmed Shettima, said the #ProjectTrust initiative gives an opportunity to share experiences from different regions of the country.
When asked if the same mechanism can be deployed to politicians and civil servants to help broaden their knowledge of the need to embrace accountability as a tenet of governance, he said:
"So civil society will do a lot of advocacy work, they will campaign, they will complain, they will be up, and they will do whatever they will do.
"But it's only when the government responds that the change will happen.
"That's why whenever we are, we try to encourage the working relationship between civil society, the state, and the federal government because we believe that the two of them will have to come together to make a difference."
"Good governance protects children against all forms of exploitation," expert says
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has been called upon to ensure good governance for the people.
The call was made by an expert on child protection, Jide Johnson, during a UNICEF workshop in Enugu.
Johnson said a child's right is indivisible and must be respected by all, including parents and guardians, at all times.
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Source: Legit.ng
