OGP Week: IRIAD, CSOs Demand Tinubu’s Approval of National Action Plan IV

JANET SALIHU, Abuja

Civil society organisations under the OGP Nigeria coalition on Wednesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the country’s Fourth National Action Plan (NAP IV) as they marked the 2026 Open Government Week with an awareness walk in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD), Princess Hamman-Obels, said the coalition’s foremost demand was for President Tinubu to approve the Fourth National Action Plan, which she described as the legal foundation for implementing Nigeria’s open government commitments.

Hamman-Obels explained that Nigeria’s OGP commitments are continuous and not tied to any particular administration, stressing that every government is expected to sustain reforms initiated by its predecessor.

“We have had three national action plans already, and we are now in the fourth cycle. The plan has been ready since last year, and what is left is for Mr. President to sign it,” she said.

“If the action plan is not signed, OGP cannot be implemented. The President’s endorsement is what gives life to the commitments and demonstrates government’s political will to continue the open governance process.”

She said OGP was not only about tracking public spending, but also about giving citizens access to information on government plans, activities and policies.

“Citizens are the employers in a democracy. They have a right to know what government intends to do, how decisions are made and how public institutions are performing,” Hamman-Obels said.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer of the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Lucy James Abagi, said the coalition was using the global week-long celebration to remind Nigerians that they have a right to demand openness, accountability and transparency from government.

Abagi noted that government is a co-member of the Open Government Partnership and is expected to honour the commitments it voluntarily signed up to.

“Ten years after Nigeria joined the OGP, we are reminding government that Nigerians have the right to know, the right to accountability and the right to transparency,” she said.

She said the coalition was demanding presidential assent to the National Action Plan IV, increased budgetary allocations for implementation, and stronger commitment from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for executing the plan.

“We want the President to sign the National Action Plan IV. We also want increased funding to demonstrate political will and ensure that the commitments Nigeria made to the global community are fully implemented,” Abagi said.

She urged citizens to use their constitutional and legal rights to ask questions about how public resources are being spent.

“From your local government to the federal level, citizens have the right to ask where public funds are going and what they are being used for in education, health, water and other critical sectors,” she added.

Civil Society Adviser to the OGP Nigeria Secretariat, Uche Nwosu, said Nigeria’s participation in the initiative had led to significant reforms, including improved implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, the beneficial ownership register and the Open ContractingPortal.

“Today, Nigerians can see who gets government contracts and who owns companies doing business with government,” he said.

Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Faith Nwadishi, said the Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling extending the Freedom of Information Act to all tiers of government was one of the key achievements linked to Nigeria’s OGP commitments.

“These reforms are direct outcomes of Nigeria’s participation in the OGP,” she said.

Samuel Folorunsho of Legislative Agenda for Development said transparency was essential for development because it enables citizens to hold government accountable.

“When government is transparent, there is development because citizens can ask questions and demand accountability,” he said.

Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Tijani Abdulkarim, said the OGP promotes inclusion by enabling government and citizens to co-create reforms and policies that improve service delivery.

“Effective service delivery depends on how government, civil society and citizens work together,” he said.

Adding her voice, Memuna Sani of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund called on the Federal Government to work closely with civil society organisations to ensure effective implementation of the Fourth National Action Plan.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to work closely with civil society to ensure the implementation of the Fourth National Action Plan for Nigeria, and we are also using this opportunity to call on Mr. President to endorse the Open Government Partnership as it serves the country at large,” she said.

Stakeholder Manager at the BudgIT Foundation, Andrew Olorunda, said the initiative had helped improve public access to information and strengthened anti-corruption efforts.

“An open government is one that is transparent, accountable and accessible to its citizens,” he said.

The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness technology to strengthen governance.

Nigeria joined the partnership in 2016 and has since implemented three National Action Plans focused on reforms such as improved access to information, open contracting, beneficial ownership disclosure and increased citizen participation in governance