The Federal Government, on Monday, said a budget tracking app would soon be launched to ensure accountability and the involvement of citizens in governance.
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba, disclosed this at the opening of a capacity building for Special Advisers and Technical Assistants of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria organised by Konard Adeneaur Stiftung (KAS), a German Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in Abuja.
Agba said the i-monitoring app is expected to be introduced alongside the new Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2021-2025 which would be launched by October.
He said the MTNDP is targeted at lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He stressed that the application would be introduced in government’s websites to promote good governance.
He added that the system would enable Nigerians’ post pictures of projects status vis-a-vis the cash released.
He said that Nigerians would be able to know projects directed to their communities and query non- implementation if need be.
The minister said the effort would also help the government knows whether it is doing well or otherwise.
According to him, this will help ensure accountability and citizens’ involvement in governance.
“I encourage you to utilise the rare opportunity provided by this training being the second in the series to internalise and propagate the ideas of this administration by inspiring and motivating others to join in the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR,” the minister told the participants.
According to him, as you may be aware, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and Nigeria Vision 20:2020 lapsed in December 2020, necessitating the need to develop successor plans; namely, the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2021-2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050, to replace the outgone plans respectively.
Agba noted that though there is the widely held notion that previous plans were federal Plans, he said to eliminate the notion, “the process for the on-going plans has been inclusive and participatory, involving not only state actors.”
He said further that the exercise would also put in place strategies to tackle Nigeria’s increasing population growth.
Agba also appreciated KAS for its numerous support towards policy making and implementation process in Nigeria, adding that the training for aides of the ministers is apt, urging participants to apply lessons learnt from the workshop into the implementation of the National Plans for the benefit of the country.
“I also kindly request our now dependable partners, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) to consider making the trainings for our ministerial foot soldiers, (the SAs and TAs) a more regular feature of their schedule of operations.
“I am available to help work on an acceptable plan in that regards,” he said.
Mr Vladmir Kreck, Resident Representative of KAS to Nigeria said KAS was keen on supporting Nigeria’s Ministries, Departments, Agencies, legislatures, Civil Societies towards ensuring sustainable democracy and governance in line with its mandates.
Kreck, who was represented by the KAS Programme Manager, Mr Samson Adeniran, said the foundation trained aides to ministers considering their key role in administration and governance.
“With these workshops and capacity building, KAS wishes that contributions from all of us will flow into the eventual implementation of the long term development plan of the nation.
“We, as a foundation that stands for good governance everywhere in the world where we are active, hope that the efforts will lead to respect for the rule of law, transparency, accountability, efficiency and equity.
“All these are what can make a nation to develop quickly,” Kreck said.
He said to comply with COVID-19 protocol, participants would be trained in three batches.
