A coalition of civil society organisations in Kano State has rejected the ongoing nomination process into the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee, describing it as a “sham” that undermines transparency, independence, and the core principles of open governance.
Under the banner of the League of Civil Society Organisations in Kano State, the groups said the exercise, initiated by the Kano State OGP Secretariat, is “flawed, exclusionary, and unacceptable,” warning that it threatens the credibility of governance reforms in the state.
The position was endorsed by prominent civil society actors, including Comrade Bala Abdullahi Gaduwama of Wuro Development Concerns, Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement, and Mohammed Bello of the African Centre for Innovative Research and Development, among others.
SolaceBase reports that the Open Government Partnership is a global initiative that promotes transparency, accountability, and citizen participation by requiring governments and civil society to jointly design and implement reforms.
In Nigeria, this is done through a co-creation process where both actors are expected to work as equal partners, with civil society independently selecting its representatives into OGP structures.
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The signatories argued that the process, as currently designed, fails to meet the minimum standards of transparency and independence required under OGP guidelines, with some noting that civil society representation must emerge from “a truly participatory and community-driven mechanism, not administrative convenience.”
In the statement issued on May 9, the League stressed that the OGP framework is built on co-creation between government and civil society, not control. It argued that any attempt by a government-led structure to manage or influence the selection of civil society representatives erodes the distinction between partnership and dominance.
According to the group, global OGP guidelines clearly require that such selections be transparent, inclusive, and reflective of the broader civil society community.
The coalition expressed concern that the Kano State OGP Secretariat’s public call for nominations appears to centralise a process that should be independently driven by civil society actors.
It warned that once the government begins to “shape or filter” participation, the legitimacy of the entire process becomes questionable.
The League maintained that legitimacy in open governance is derived from credible procedures rather than official declarations.
Read Also:Kano CSOs demand transparent, inclusive process for OGP steering committee election
Highlighting what it described as a pattern of disregard for stakeholder input, the group said several warnings and professional recommendations had been ignored prior to the current controversy.
It noted that civil society organisations had consistently called for clear procedures, wider consultation, and respect for independence, but alleged that the Secretariat proceeded without adequately addressing these concerns.
“The approach suggests a process where consultation is secondary, rather than foundational,” the statement said, adding that such practices risk portraying civil society legitimacy as something that can be “arranged by official invitation rather than earned through an independent process.”
As a result, the League announced its decision to dissociate itself from the nomination exercise, insisting it would not lend credibility to what it described as a structurally compromised framework.
It characterised the process as one that “imitates inclusion while eroding the conditions that make inclusion meaningful,” warning that participation under such circumstances would amount to endorsing a breach of open government principles.
The group further cautioned that the controversy could have far-reaching consequences for governance in Kano State, including weakening public trust, undermining the effectiveness of the OGP Steering Committee, and damaging the state’s reputation within the broader OGP ecosystem. It added that a lack of confidence in the process could discourage meaningful participation and deepen divisions within the civil society community.
To address the situation, the League called for the immediate suspension and comprehensive review of the nomination process.
It urged the Secretariat to initiate a fresh, transparent, and civil society-led exercise that aligns with both global OGP standards and Nigeria’s co-creation framework.
“The Secretariat must restore public confidence by ensuring that the process is open, participatory, and clearly independent of government control,” the group said, warning that failure to do so could erode trust and compromise the integrity of open government efforts in the state.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the League insisted that Kano deserves a credible OGP process built on genuine collaboration, not what it termed a “managed imitation.”
