….As BudgIT Expresses Concern On Nigeria’s Performance
Indications that Nigerian government’s efforts to improve transparency in public finance appeared not to be achieving positive results have emerged as the country dropped in the 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS), conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) to the 92nd position out of the 125 countries covered in the exercise.
The survey’s result showed that Nigeria scored lower than the global average of 45 (out of 100) in the Open Budget Index, ranking below Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Benin.
The Open Budget Survey is the world’s only comparative, independent, and regular assessment of transparency, oversight, and participation in national budgets and it is specifically designed to help local civil society organisations and the public evaluate government reporting on public funds, ensuring they are spent on public interests.
The 2023 survey assessed 125 countries, home to 95% of the world’s population, and included budgets totalling more than $33.5 trillion in spending in the 2022 Fiscal Year.
According to the 2023 survey, despite a 24% global increase in transparency, Nigeria scored 31 (out of 100) in transparency, 19 (out of 100) in public participation, and 61 (out of 100) in institutional oversight, resulting in an overall rank of 92 out of 125 countries.
Curiously, Nigeria’s 2021 OBS performance was more promising, with scores of 45 (out of 100) in transparency, 26 (out of 100) in public participation, and 61 (out of 100) in institutional oversight. Nigeria’s disappointing performance is primarily due to the government’s failure to promptly publish In-Year Reports and Mid-Year Reviews online and adopt innovative public participation practices.
BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organisation promoting transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery in Nigeria, in a statement on the country’s latest OBS’ performance expressed concern and canvassed some measures the Nigerian government should take to reverse the country’s unimpressive performance in the OBS’ yearly surveys.
On transparency, BudgIT recommended that legislative committees should thoroughly examine the Executive Budget Proposal, In-year Budget Implementation, and Audit Report and publicly publish their findings.
To improve budget transparency, the civil advocacy group canvassed the need for the Nigerian government publishes its fiscal documents promptly, ensuring quarterly reports are released within three months post-period, monthly fiscal accounts are published timely on the Open Treasury Portal, and annual budgets are published in machine-readable formats.
Similarly, it also advocated that to enhance public participation in Nigeria’s budget process, the Budget Office should expand engagement mechanisms during budget implementation, including promoting the EyeMark app for citizen feedback on projects and actively involving vulnerable communities.
BudgIT also charged the National Assembly to allow public and civil society testimonies during budget and Audit Report hearings. At the same time, the Auditor-General’s office should create formal avenues for public contributions to audit programs and investigations.
Commenting on the survey, Nigeria’s Country Manager of International Budget Partnership, Olayinka Babalola, said: “The Open Budget Survey is an important tool for generating discussion amongst citizens, government, civil society organisations and all stakeholders on how public finance systems can address the needs of everyone, especially the marginalised and vulnerable. Nigeria’s scores in the OBS 2023 provide a unique opportunity to identify areas for improvement and reflect on how the government can build on the gains made in previous years to make budgetary processes more transparent and participatory while increasing oversight on how public funds are raised and spent.
“The budget should serve all citizens, and to make this happen, spaces for citizen participation at every stage of the budget cycle must be created and nurtured. I urge everyone to engage with this year’s report and use it as an advocacy tool for equitable, open and transparent management of public finances in Nigeria”, Babalola added.
In his remarks, BudgIT’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, underscored the urgency of the situation, saying that “this is an immediate cry for help. Nigeria is experiencing a decline in fiscal transparency. The current administration has the ball in its court to revive fiscal transparency and take the nation further without reminiscing about past glories.
“There is still a need for better transparency, enhanced mechanisms for public participation and engagements in the budget process, oversight functions performed by the Supreme Audit Institution and the Legislature, and improved timeliness in publishing detailed budget documents, especially Audit Reports”, the civil society activist stressed.
The 2023 Open Budget Survey highlights the urgent need for accountable and inclusive public budgeting and BudgIT urged the Nigerian government to promptly publish fiscal documents and engage citizens in the budget process to enhance fiscal transparency and accountability.
