Action plan – Plateau, Nigeria, 2021 – 2023

At-a-Glance

Duration

March 2023

Date Submitted

31st August 2021

Foreword(s)

There is a strong Peace, Security and Good Governance policy thrust that drives development in Plateau State today, and this is captured as one of the eight Pillars of the Plateau State Development Strategy (PSDS) 2019 – 2023. This State Action Plan aims to leverage the existing will and preparedness to better serve citizens. To do this effectively, both state and non-state actors will work through the Open Government principles to improve accountability, transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More and inclusiveness in governance processes across the over eighty ministries, departments and agencies.

Following months of continuous engagement and planning discussions which culminated in an intense 3-day co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive..., government and civil society have developed these 6 Action Plan commitments, from the 5 thematic areas. Through the process, an agreement has been reached to continue working together to deliver on the commitments, by leveraging on the financial and technical resources available, and actively seek external support that will be required as well.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

This subsection details the Open Government Strategic Vision in your local area that should guide the commitments for the action plan period.

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

Sustainability, expansion and replicability: Given that this administration’s term will end in the next two years, the plan is to use this time to not only create participatory, transparent, innovative, inclusive, and accountable governance processes, but also to work to establish the institutional structures and networks that will ensure that the OGP principles are embedded within governance systems. The lessons learned through this process will also be captured and disseminated to other middle-belt and northern states, leveraging the State Governor’s influence within the Northern Governors forum. Civil society actors will also work on retraining and support for their counterparts to replicate the processes in their respective states.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

• Published financial reports – State Budgets, Budget Performance, Audited Reports and DebtOpenly disclosing information about government debt enables informed decision-making, mitigates the risk of financial instability, and allows citizens to hold their governments accountable for respons... More Management Reports from the relevant agencies.
• Open DataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... Platform being developed by the Plateau State Information and Communications Technology Development Agency (PICTDA) and will be available to the public from fourth quarter 2021 This is towards achieving the objectives of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act of Nigeria.
• OCDS compliant Open ContractingA transparent procurement process, known as open contracting, increases competition, improves public service delivery, and ensures governments better value for their money. Technical specifications: C... More Portal launched. This was achieved following the passage of the Plateau State Public Procurement Law 2018. Done to increase transparency in the procurement process and reduce corruption through the adoption of technology. Consequently, the Plateau State open contracting portal displays all contracts awarded in the state, the contract sum, the contractors handling the projects and the implementation status of those projects.
• Ongoing collaboration and partnerships with leading civil society organizations. The collaborations have fostered stronger citizen-government engagements on key issues in the state; peace building, genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... More mainstreaming, water supply and sanitation service delivery, amongst others.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

The challenges and areas of improvement that will be addressed in the current implementation of open government are:

1. Gender: Inadequate implementation of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Law, resulting in a distinct lack of women’s participation and engagement in leadership and key decision-making positions throughout government;
2. Fiscal Transparency: Citizens’ participation in the budgeting process is inadequate, and public procurement transparency is insufficient.
3. Citizens Engagement: People’s ability to successfully engage in governance processes, particularly in terms of planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects, is hampered by insufficient citizen-government feedback systems.
4. Extractive Transparency: Loss of revenue through non-effective documentation and oversight of extractive operations in the State. This deepens the environmental impact of mining activities as environmental management plans are not being implemented.
5. Peace and Security: – Reactive and costly response to escalating conflict that worsens the socioeconomic burden on the impacted populace.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

The medium-term goals of Plateau State include:

• Setting up the Gender Commission before the end of 2022 to serve as the engine room for the pursuit of the gender equality objectives
• Upgrading the Open Contracting Platform to enhance more robust access and interaction to citizens
• Making the state’s budgeting process more participatory
• Organizing quarterly media appearances by the Governor and top government officials
• Promulgating the Plateau State Monitoring and Evaluation Policy by end of 2021
• Promulgating the Plateau State Community Development Policy by mid-2022
• Deploying the Citizens Engagement Platform called “Click’n’Tell” by Q1-2022
• Holding the first “Plateau State Results Fair” by 4^th Quarter 2021
• Setting up the Plateau State Extractive IndustriesApplying open government values of transparency, participation, and accountability to extractive industries can decrease corruption, safeguard community interests and needs, and support environmental ... Transparency Forum by mid-2022
• Setting up the Plateau State Peace and Security Fund by Q3-2022

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

The Plateau State Open Government Action Plan 2021 – 2023 is structured along the five thematic areas of:

• Gender
• Fiscal Transparency
• Citizens Engagement
• Extractive Transparency
• Peace and Security

The five Commitments (one in Fiscal Transparency and one each for the other thematic areas) are for implementing projects and programmes that promote participatory, transparent, innovative, inclusive and accountable governance that would lead to a safe, secure and adequately enabled environment for the socio-economic development of the people of Plateau State.

As part of the co-creation of the first Plateau State action plan six commitments were developed. Since the limit of concurrent commitments is five commitments, we have decided in conjunction with our forum and with OGP approval, to save the commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... on Improving Participatory Budgeting and include it as an annex to our plan to be started once one of the initial five commitments has been fully implemented.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

The thrusts of the current administration’s policy centre on:

• Sustainable Economic Rebirth
• Physical Infrastructure Development
• Peace, Security and Good Governance

The OGP strategic vision on fiscal transparency will help the administration in achieving sustainable economic growth, especially with regards to internal revenue generation and the budgeting process. Citizens engagement will support the administration’s drive for efficient resource deployment, accountability, and impact assurance during physical infrastructure projects selection, planning and implementation. The OGP vision regarding gender, peace and security will contribute to the administration’s policy goals in peace, security and good governance.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• Programme Management and Results Delivery Office (Office of the Governor)
• Ministry of Information and Communication
• Ministry of Minerals Development
• Ministry of Women Affairs
• Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning
• Ministry of Justice
• Bureau for Public Procurement
• Plateau Information and Communication Technology Development Agency
• Community and Social Development Agency
• Plateau Peace Building Agency

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

The State OGP Steering CommitteeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru... along with the Thematic Working Groups shall serve as the coordinating units for the implementation of the State Action Plan.

In addition, the Programme Management and Results Delivery Office was set up in the Office of the Governor to provide coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the State towards implementing the thirty-five Initiatives contained in the State Development Strategy (PSDS) 2019 – 2023. The objectives of the PSDS are adequately covered in the OGP Strategic Vision and the Commitments in the OGP State Action Plan.

Furthermore, the Administration has clustered MDAs into four Sub-Councils focused on the main policy thrusts in Economy and Finance; Physical Infrastructure; Human Capital Development; and Strategic Support Services. These Sub-Councils also provide coordination for MDAs delivering Initiatives in their respective clusters. Most of these Initiatives reflect the Commitments in the OGP Action Plan.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

1. Shared WhatsApp group for State OGP Forum where most of the logistical coordination happens, and quick delivery of information and matters as they arise.
2. Shared WhatsApp group for the Steering Committee members who also set up shared platforms for the Thematic Working Groups discussions.
3. Zoom Access set up. Periodic Zooms meetings between state and non-state actors, a few have been held so far, both jointly between state and non-state actors and also separately amongst the two groups.
4. A dedicated space within the PMRDO, larger convening space within the Government House and a standing civil society meeting space within the Peace Agency.
5. All the spaces mentioned were used in the period of preparing the draft action plan, and will remain available throughout the implementation period.
6. All available state media platforms have also been made available – radio, television, print and online platforms. Some of which have been utilized already, e.g the phone-in radio and television programmes to solicit inputs from the public towards co-creating the state action plan.

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

Open calls were made via radio, television, and using an online Google Form to solicit the participation of all. In addition to these, deliberate efforts were made by both the state and non-state members of the OGP Steering Committee to reach out to known organisations to ensure diversity on the forum.

Who participated in these spaces?

The categories of organizations that participated in the co-creation process are:

• State Actors (8 organisations)
• Academia (2 organisations)
• State and National NGOs (23 organisations)
• Development Partners (3 organisations)

How many groups participated in these spaces?

36

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

21

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

The government and non-governmental shall continue to collaborate for the implementation of the Action Plan through the State OGP Steering Committee, the Five Thematic Working Groups and the Independent Monitoring Body.

To avoid stagnation, the five theme working groups will continue to hold regular meetings to continue talks and address any roadblocks that may occur during implementation.

Collaboration remains key, and the PMRDO as the lead implementation agency, acts as the administrative secretariat for implementation. Civil society actors are aware of this, and leverage the space within the agency to provide inputs and obtain necessary resources.

We will build a strong joint-communications plan to keep OGP operations in the spotlight and ensure accountability and adherence to implementation, as citizens remain the major focus of implementation and their inputs are critical to achieving success.

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

The independent monitoring body will be formed to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the action plan consisting of members from the academia and CSOs.

We will involve academics from the University of Jos, Plateau State University, the University of Accountancy, Jos and Plateau State Polytechnic. NGOs will be drawn from the various Coalitions that make up the Plateau State Civil Societies Forum.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Ms. Yop Rwang Pam, Ms., yop@reboot.org
• Sunday Lugard, Dr., lugardsun@yahoo.com
• Emmanuel Sallah Longshall, Mr., Emmasino2000@yahoo.com
• Rose Daffi, Dr. (Mrs), rosedaffi@gmail.com
• Paul Gadi, Dr., jsstature@gmail.com
• Keziah Yiltohom Ayuba, Dr. (Mrs), ayuba_keziah@yahoo.com

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

The Plateau State OGP Forum will hold meetings regularly or in accordance with the needs, and involve other relevant stakeholders, to discuss the progress of the implementation of the commitments and find solutions to the problems that may emerge.

Depending on the availability of donor-support funding for this, we may be able to include some discussion checkpoints, such as:

• an OGP open forum/roundtable discussion with government and citizens every 6 months to share back progress, take feedback for updating plans etc.; or
• a yearly consultative meeting with leading national CSO’s working in our thematic areas to get feedback on progress, share learnings and find opportunities for strengthening implementation.

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

Each Lead Agency in charge of the respective Commitments will develop a monthly report showing the progress of implementation of the commitment. Furthermore, regular work meetings will be held by the various Thematic Working Groups to discuss progress and strategies to overcome challenges. These TWGs will also present their quarterly reports to the State OGP Forum as a whole.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

The results of the monitoring of the implementation of the action plan will be shared with the public via online media to ensure the ease of access and a broad range of involvement. The Plateau State Government will also upload the results through the official website: http://www.plateaustate.gov.ng This is in addition to various social media accounts of government as well as those of the State OGP Forum such as the Plateau OGP website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, both in the form of a complete report and an interesting and easy-to-understand infographics. Radio and television programmes will also be held to engage with the public to discuss progress.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Dr. John Jinung, Co-Chairman, Plateau State CSOs Forum
• Gad Peter Shamaki, Co-Chairman, Plateau State CSOs Forum
• Yop Rwang Pam, Executive Director, Reboot Africa
• Jessica Vonkat, Execitive Director, Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN)
• Bande Steven, Team Lead, Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COIN)
• Jummai Madaki, Focal Person (Plateau State), Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)
• Mugu Zakka Bako, Coordinator, Plateau Peace Practitioners Network
• Prof. Patricia Lar, Professor of Microbiology, University of Jos
• Chinyere Ibezim, Program Manager, Int’l Center for Peace, Charities and Human Development (INTERCEP)
• Prince Charles Dickson, Team Lead, Tattaunawa RoundTable Initiative Centre
• Mary Omble Wuya, Executive Director, Organized Center for Empowerment and Advocacy in Nigeria (OCEAN)
• Esther Mallo, Executive Director, Esther Mallo Women Initiative
• Zarah Dakun, Program Officer, Fahariya Adolescent Development Network (FAANET)
• Manji Wilson, Deputy Project Coordinator, European Centre for Electoral Support
• Derickson Nanman Gono, Programs Officer, Wise-Youth Development Foundation
• O. J. Afwanks, Secretary, Plateau Peace Practitioners Network
• Lawrencia Nagari, Program Officer, League for Human RightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T...
• Aodona Iorapuu, Program Coordinator, YouthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More Adolescent Reflection and Action Center (YARAC)
• Ayuba Remikat, Community and Strategy Officer, BEGE Foundation
• Etty Etema Peter, Acting Director, Centre for the Advocacy of Justice and Rights / Budget
• Bridget Dakyes, Executive Director, Women and Girlchild Rescue and Development Initiative
• Jonah Ving Lomak, State Coordinator, NEWSAN
• Jacob Pwakim, Executive Director, Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse- (YIAVHA)
• Obinna Chukwuezie, Executive Director, Journalism Communication and Media Centre
• Jerusha Daniel Chamang, Program Director, APURIMAC
• Rachel Nuhu Birma, Executive Director, Africare Peace Initiative
• Peter Iorappu, Executive Director, CHCEEWY
• Steve Daniel Aluko, Director, Civil Liberties Organization
• Rose Ngyou, Director of Programmes, Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)
• Yilriep Fomwul, Executive Director, Saphirra Global Center for Social Development
• Maurice Gupar, Program Manager, Community Action for Popular Participation
• Dr. Dagwom Dang, National Consultant, GIZ/Plateau State Polytechnic