Minister tasks OGP on Nigeria’s involvement in global events

The Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba has advised members of Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria to work with the secretariat to ensure that the country actively participates in global events and activities.

The minister, who is the State Actor OGP Co-chair, made this declaration while addressing the 11th OGP National Steering Committee (NSC) held in Abuja on Thursday.

The minister told members that the implementation cycle for the NAP II was drawing to a close and it was important to discuss the progress made in the implication of the country’s commitments and OGP principles in order to make Nigeria’s involvement in global activities very active.

He said the next OGP week and global summit would hold in May and December 2021, respectively, and urged the operators to work with the secretariat to ensure that Nigeria participates in the global activities.

The minister also deployed a monitoring and evaluation officer to assist the OGP secretariat as well as requested for the nomination of relevant senior officers on OGP communication strategy, which was sent to the ministers of information and culture as well as communication and digital economy.

On financial contribution to OGP Support Unit, the minister said, the country was in receipt of a request for the 2021 financial contribution of USD25, 000 annually, disclosing that, “Nigeria has paid for previous years since joining the OGP.”

The World Bank in its report confirmed that the OGP MDTF council approved a reduction in the grant available to Nigeria to $400,000 due to a reduction in contribution by the United Kingdom FCDO, who provides the fund. 

Tributes were paid to Mr. Innocent Chukwuma by the minister, who said he received the sad news of the demise of Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, the past Country Director of Ford Foundation in Nigeria, saying Chukwuma was an avid advocate of good governance which was evident in his involvement in Nigeria’s road to joining the OGP. 

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