THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION, NIGERIA AND OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP
Nigeria has been faced with the challenge of effectively utilising its resources to support equitable economic growth, effective service delivery and social cohesion. One of the major driving forces for the development blockade is lack of openness, transparency and accountability in governance. Therefore, if government and citizens embrace open government principles in a tailored stakeholder engagement, then the blockades will be dealt with and reform will take place that will lead ultimately to effective policy, effective budget and effective implementation. This is why the Open Government Partnership signed by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in May, 2016 is a commendable move.
OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP
The Open Government Partnership was launched on 20th September, 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable and responsive to citizens. The partnership is governed by four key principles. The first principle is requiring that information on government activities and decisions is open, comprehensive, timely and freely available to the public, and meets basic open data standards. The second principle is accountability to ensure that rules, regulations, and mechanisms are in place that call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms or requirements made of them and accept responsibility for failure to perform. The third principle is requiring governments to seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to more responsive and effective governance. The fourth principle is technology and Innovation making it an obligation for governments to embrace the importance of new technologies in driving innovation, providing citizens with open access to technology, and increasing their capacity to use technology.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) was launched by eight founding governments of Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States when they formally adopted the Open Government Declaration and announced their national action plans.