At workshop, stakeholders highlight challenges to OGP-NAP implementation

At

At workshop, stakeholders highlight challenges to
OGP-NAP implementation

Participants at a ‘Stakeholders Technical Workshop’ in Lagos,
have identified mistrust and lack of openness to discuss issues of
concern, lack of strategic communication to educate public actors,
and problems with getting feedback from stakeholders, as the major
challenges which hindered the implementation of the first (1st)
Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan (NAP).

To remedy the problems which rear their ugly heads in the maiden
NAP, they suggested that the National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA) should build an OGP interactive portal
to entertain complaints/responses from stakeholders, use
demographics as a tool for strategic communication to analyze data,
use both the traditional and new for information dissemination, and
implement the Permanent Dialogue Mechanism (PDM).

The two-day workshop, which drew representatives of both the
state and non-state actors, was organized at the instance of OGP
National Secretariat in conjunction with DFID-PERL, as development
partner.

The objective of the meeting was to review and discuss
extensively the inputs and suggestions to the commitments in the
NAP 2 draft, ensure the draft commitments align with plans,
mandates and capacity for implementation, and also to deepen the
process of co-creation between state and non-state actors.

The participants noted that some administrative bottlenecks have
been identified as hindrances towards access to information,
especially in the areas of annual reporting obligations and
compliance to the 2011 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

They agreed that the 2nd NAP should dwell on issues around
pushing for legislation to enforce compliance with FOI, saying
that, “members Commitment to the sustainability of OGP, despite the
change of Government, should be sincere and unwavering. Again, OGP
will work with the Head of Service (HOS) to institutionalize and
streamline OGP operations within Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs). Our NAP 2 will equally identify ways to strengthen
the asset recovery legislation.”

Though the stakeholders charged the Bureau of Public Service
Reforms (BPSR), as a state actor, to collaborate and actualize the
Service Delivery Commitment together with SERVICOM, they also
listed undue bureaucratization in the public service, general
decline of effective and transparent services, bias staff
recruitment, promotion, and award of contracts’ processes, as
challenges to complete implementation of the service delivery
commitment.

Addressing the participants, Director-General of BPSR, Dr.
Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, who applauded the organisers of the workshop,
expressed delight that key recommendations have been highlighted by
erudite speakers and invited delegates at the gathering.

He assured that BPSR would be steadfast and deliver on its areas
of commitment with respect to OGP.

The trio of Mr. Ben Okolo, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, and Mr. E. Egbe,
represented the state actor, non-state actor and OGP Desk Officer
for BPSR, at the technical workshop.

By PRNigeria