Get involved: UDEME charges citizens with their public responsibility

The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has tasked citizens to engage in the governance process as a way to foster sustainable development in their communities.

This was the culmination of a week-long advocacy campaign organized by UDEME, the center's social accountability project, from Tuesday August 22 to Friday August 25, 2023 in six states of the geopolitical zones: Akwa Ibom , Ekiti, Borno, Ebonyi, Plateau. and Kebbi States — and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

During the radio program, citizens were briefed on Nigeria's tax policies, budgeting and project implementation processes, and how to engage with their representatives in the government and hold them accountable for funds disbursed for projects in their communities.

Many citizens do not know how the processes of budgeting, formulation and execution of projects work and, as a result, are unable to monitor the progress of projects within their communities. This is the situation that UDEME project manager Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba says the campaign aims to change.

“We anticipate that with these activities, there will be an increase in the number of Nigerians who will demand accountability from the various stakeholders involved in the delivery of projects and services, thereby enhancing public accountability in all sectors,” Ms. Okereke-Adagba said. .

Launched in 2018, UDEME is committed to simplifying and making government budgets accessible to citizens in readable and easy-to-understand formats, enabling them to demand accountability by tracking and monitoring the implementation of government projects in their local communities.< /p>

U-Monitor in the Plateau State, Bulmun Dakwal speaking to Jay FM Jos

Using data collected from public projects in Nigeria, the UDEME team tracks projects in the Nigerian communities, revealing the gaps observed through its reports. So far, he's tracked over 4,800 projects in over 2,000 communities across 28 states, generating over 75 high-impact publications on national media outlets including Premium Times, Ripples, and the International Center for Investigative Reporting. (ICIR).

Now in its second year, UDEME's Get Involved Week is an annual campaign that aims to bridge the gap between citizens and government through education and advocacy for citizen participation in the governance. Program activities include social media campaigns and radio tours, most of which are carried out by U-Monitors, UDEME's team of student journalists across the country.

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