Abuja: Connected Development (CODE) has unveiled its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a $177.7 billion annual financing gap for Nigeria to meet its climate obligations, while calling for reforms in global climate funding architecture. Acting Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hyeladzira Mshelia, presented the report in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the report with the theme ‘Leading Communities to Action’, highlighted the projects the organisation had undertaken since inception, such as ‘Follow the Money’ and ‘Climate Action’, among others. Mshelia noted that Nigeria received $4.928 billion in climate finance over seven years, with 75 percent of the funds coming as loans.
‘CODE follows the money, and in 2025, we tracked funds across 12 African countries, covering 4,772 schools, oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, and federal allocation data largely inaccessible to ordinary Nigerians,’ Mshelia said. She emphasized the application of the Follow the Money methodology to Nigeria’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), stressing that lack of transparency in health security financing could have life-threatening consequences.
Under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), CODE monitored schools in several Nigerian states, noting improvements in scholarship delivery and digital learning access, but identifying gaps in school safety and disability inclusion. ‘We did not stop at documentation; we triggered corrective actions because accountability without reform is ineffective,’ Mshelia stated.
Mshelia added that through the Power of Voices Partnership, 119 community members in four states were trained on their rights under the Petroleum Industry Act, strengthening accountability in Niger Delta communities. Beyond its findings, CODE developed a Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning roadmap in Bauchi State and established a Civic Integrity Club in a special needs school in Cross River.
She highlighted CODE’s expansion to 12 African countries with the launch of Follow the Money in Sierra Leone and the training of over 450 students through civic hackathons and advocacy initiatives. Mshelia cited Dorathy Stephen, a participant in the Girl-Child Education Project, who was later appointed to a ministerial committee on sexual harassment in Bauchi State.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mshelia stressed the need for strengthened civic engagement and transparency. ‘Nigeria is a few months away from general elections. What happens now in terms of civic education and citizen participation will determine the quality of that election,’ she remarked.
The event also featured a Panel Discussion Session with the theme ‘From Accountability to the Ballot’, where panellists examined issues that could deter credible and transparent elections. Senior Adviser, Policy and Strategy, Chimdi Neliaku, emphasized the need for innovative communication of government policies to close the trust gap between the government and citizens.
Ibrahim Faruk, Programme Coordinator (Africa Division), Yiaga Africa, highlighted risks to election integrity, including fears of partisanship among INEC officials, insecurity, fake news, and AI manipulation. He called for effective information management to empower citizens as the 2027 election approaches.
Other participants urged the media to focus on politicians and the political class to ensure delivery of democratic dividends. The event also launched the Digital Mobilisation Lab, Cohort 2, to support democratic accountability and community-based monitoring.