A coalition of civil society organisations in Kano State has called for urgent reforms to the process for electing non-state actors into the state’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee, warning that the credibility of the body depends on a transparent, inclusive and independent selection process.
The call was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the League of Civil Society Organisations in Kano State and endorsed by prominent civil society leaders and advocacy groups across the state.
SolaceBase reports that among the signatories are Comrade Bala Abdullahi Gaduwama, Executive Director of Wuro Development Concerns (WDCN); Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN); Mohammed Bello, Executive Director of the African Centre for Innovative Research and Development (AFRI-CIRD); and Abdullahi Yahaya, Kano State Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP).
Other notable endorsers include Comrade Fatima A. Ibrahim of United Action for Democracy (UAD), Maryam Garba Usman of the Centre for Gender and Social Inclusion (CAGSI), and Fatima Chabir Aliyu of the Community-Based Equal Justice Initiative.
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In the statement, the coalition commended the Kano State Government for advancing open governance through the institutionalisation of the OGP framework. However, it raised concerns over what it described as significant procedural gaps in the election guidelines recently released by the Kano State OGP Secretariat.
The group said that while the planned election marks an important milestone in strengthening citizen participation, accountability and transparency, the process must align fully with global OGP participation standards and Nigeria’s National OGP Handbook.
Central to the coalition’s concerns is the role assigned to the OGP Secretariat, which is domiciled in the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, in screening and determining the eligibility of civil society nominees.
According to the League, permitting a government-hosted secretariat to vet civil society representatives creates a conflict of interest and could undermine public confidence in the independence and credibility of the Steering Committee.
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It therefore called for the immediate establishment of an Independent Civil Society Selection Committee comprising respected civil society leaders and neutral observers, including representatives of the National OGP Secretariat, to oversee the accreditation process.
The coalition also criticised the requirement for physical submission of nomination documents at the ministry, describing it as restrictive and likely to disadvantage community-based organisations, particularly those operating in remote local government areas.
It recommended the introduction of a secure digital submission platform or an official email channel to ensure equitable access and meaningful participation for grassroots organisations across Kano State.
