BudgIT, a leading public data organisation focused on raising active citizens and civic leaders to improve governance by bridging the information gap between the government and citizens, has announced the launching of its interactive FG Budget Dashboard for improved engagement of the government by the people in budgetary processes.
The dashboard is a web-based platform that provides quick access to the Federal Government’s budget data at a disaggregated level across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The civil advocacy group stated that with the launch of the platform, stakeholders, including citizens, civil society organizations and the media, are now equipped with accurate data to engage government agencies, political representatives and policymakers.
BudgIT reports that the dashboard organizes budget information through quick analysis and summaries with corresponding infographics to simplify and present seemingly complex data in easily digestible and comprehensible bits and formats.
Also, the group indicated that data on this platform can be leveraged by analysts, researchers, the media, and the general public to monitor the budget process at micro and macro levels, strengthen public debate and engagement, and improve participatory governance by providing the instrument to hold state actors accountable.
According to the organization, the dashboard also functions as a lens through which citizens can examine Federal Government budgets more closely and in a less complex format, allowing Nigerians to determine whether their interests have been adequately represented.
Commenting on the initiative, BudgIT’s Head of Research and Policy Advisory, Iniobong Usen, said: “The launch of the FG Budget Portal is a realisation of two of BudgIT’s core mandates: to improve budget access and enhance budget literacy.”
The civil advocacy group, therefore, urged citizens, civil society organisations, and the media to utilize the platform, which can be accessed through https://budgit.org/fg-budget-dashboard/ to gain access to the disaggregated Federal Government data in order to participate in governance in an effective and informed manner.
