By Linus Aleke
The Acting Executive Director of African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Monday Osasah has reiterated the strategic roles the media play in the implementation of Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) National and State Action Plan in Nigeria.
He explained that the media is a very critical stakeholders in Open Government Partnership and therefore cannot be taken for granted.
The Acting Executive Director, reiterated the imperative of the media in implementation of OGP, NAP at a two days training programme for key media organisations on Open Government Partnership in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.
Osasah who was represented at the training programme by the Programme Officer of the Centre, Mr. Uchenna Arisukwu further explained that OGP is striving to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
He said that the training is aimed at equipping reporters reporting the activities of OGP to understand the philosophy behind the concept so as to report from an informed perspective.
He also explained that the Open Alliance which is an integral part of OGP is a conglomeration of 150 civil society groups working together to ensure robust advocacy, as well as successful implementation of OGP in Nigeria.
Osasah added that the initiative is a 50/50 collaborative arrangement between state actors and non state actors.
The leadership of the organisation he said is usually shared equally between government and civil society organisations, adding that each Cochair enjoy equal status.
A resource person at the training, Mr. Abayomi Akimbo in a paper titled “History of Open Government Partnership” gave a chronological narrative of how Nigeria signed on to OGP.
He said that OGP was founded in 2011 by eight countries – Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, UK, US and South Africa, saying that Nigeria signed on in 2017.
The number of membership according to him, had grown to 79,with 11 Africa countries, 3000 CSOs, 20 sub nationals, and 7 multi nationals.
