Abuja: BudgIT Foundation, a civic-tech organisation and public finance think-tank, has announced a significant milestone, having reached over 22 million citizens through its efforts in fiscal transparency. This announcement was made during a news briefing in Abuja, marking the organisation’s 15th anniversary.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Country Director of BudgIT Foundation, Mr. Vahyala Kwaga, highlighted the organisation’s evolution from a local Nigerian initiative to a pan-African civic-tech entity. BudgIT operates in several African countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, and Ghana, with an additional office in Washington, D.C., USA.
Mr. Kwaga detailed the development of various civic technology tools by BudgIT, such as Tracka, GovSpend, Live Results, Me.BudgIT.org, Open States, Kwerty, and the Federal Government Budget Dashboard. These tools have been instrumental in demystifying public budgets, tracking governmental expenditures, and enhancing the accessibility of public finance information for citizens.
He further elaborated on BudgIT’s initiatives to enhance subnational fiscal transparency through the publication of ten editions of its State of States Fiscal Report. With assistance from the World Bank, BudgIT increased the number of states publishing their budgets from just three in 2014 to all 36 states.
BudgIT also introduced the States Fiscal Transparency League Table, encouraging state governments to enhance their fiscal disclosures. Through community monitoring initiatives, the organisation has tracked 19,644 projects valued at N8.5 trillion across 7,589 communities, leading to the completion of over 11,800 projects worth N3.5 trillion, benefiting more than 11.5 million Nigerians.
Moreover, BudgIT has facilitated over 7,612 town hall meetings to foster citizen participation and engagement in governance. The ‘GovSpend’ platform has played a pivotal role in supporting more than 60 media reports, uncovering over N250 billion in potentially wasteful government spending.
The organisation’s collaboration with the ICPC and EFCC on a N220 billion petition resulted in the recovery of ambulances and other public assets. BudgIT also extended pro bono support to the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee in 2024 during the review of Nigeria’s tax code.
Additionally, BudgIT has empowered 45 civil society and media organisations by enhancing their capabilities in governance, data analysis, and policy engagement. The organisation’s reach extends beyond Nigeria, with initiatives in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Senegal.
BudgIT’s Pan-African COVID-19 Resource Accountability Project has tracked resource utilization across nine countries. The organisation collaborated with the Open Government Partnership to produce accountability and vaccine-equity reports for the health sector in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
As BudgIT celebrates its 15th anniversary, it plans a series of reflections, community engagements, and public conversations throughout September, culminating in a celebration on September 13. Kwaga reiterated BudgIT’s dedication to fostering transparent and accountable governance across Africa, emphasizing the importance of active citizen participation in achieving sustainable governance reforms.