Nigeria’s National Conference: An opportunity to empower citizens?

Back in the mid 1990s, the Ugandan central government provided grants to improve primary school enrollment and learning.  An initiative to track the way funds were being spent revealed that the average school received only 20% of the grants, the bulk of the grants were captured by politicians and local government officials. The government responded to the problem in an innovative way. They published information in newspapers on each school grant, so the parents could see what the schools were supposed to receive and hold their local government to account. A study carried out by Ritva Reinikka and Jakob Svensson in April 2005 showed that both enrollment and test scores improved in areas where the information was published. Empowering parents with the right information to monitor local government officials handling public funds led to better outcomes for their children.

In Nigeria, this type of accountability is more difficult to achieve. Like Uganda in the mid-1990s, we know that much of public funds have not translated into services for the people. It’s not enough to publish your Federal Budget or State Allocations and expect transformation. Citizens need information they can relate to on issues that directly touch on their lives. The current Federal system makes this more challenging. The National Conference provides an opportunity to look again at ways to empower Nigerians in the fight against corruption and pursuit of public service delivery.

Below are three suggestions for the National Conference :

1. More autonomy for local governments and higher expectations from citizens: statutory allocations should be given directly from the Federation Account to local governments rather than through States. This information should be transparent and local governments should be compelled to publish detailed budgets. For example, if citizens know how much is allocated for road maintenance which is never delivered they will know who to hold accountable. This may also help to improve citizen participation in governance.
2. State Governments to be responsible for policing at the state level: the current situation of Federally appointed police commissioners in charge of policing within States blurs the lines of accountability. If security is out of control in a State, it will be good for citizens to know who to hold accountable.
3. Remove the immunity clause from the constitution: leaders should at least be held to the same standards as their citizens. There is no reason why criminality should be accepted at any level in Nigeria.