Nigeria Results Report 2023-2025

Nigeria’s third national action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... made progress despite challenges posed by a period of political transition. Strengthened 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 and beneficial ownershipDisclosing beneficial owners — those who ultimately control or profit from a business — is essential for combating corruption, stemming illicit financial flows, and fighting tax evasion. Technical... More 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 contributed to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce costs, recover assets, and fight corruption. Implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act commenced with the establishment of Host Community Development Trusts. Nigeria’s OGP process remains robust and collaborative, bringing together government, civil society, private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More, and local government reformers.

Nigeria’s third national action plan, comprising 13 commitments, largely had limited levels of completionImplementers must follow through on their commitments for them to achieve impact. For each commitment, OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) evaluates the degree to which the activities outlin... More with almost all commitments achieving moderate results. This was partly due to the time and resources required for government transition following the 2023 presidential electionsImproving transparency in elections and maintaining the independence of electoral commissions is vital for promoting trust in the electoral system, preventing electoral fraud, and upholding the democr... More.

This report features three commitments that stand out for their early results. These reforms align with the Government of Nigeria’s Presidential Priority Areas on economic growth, natural resources for sustainable development, and improved governance for service delivery.^[1]

Improvements to the Nigerian Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO) under Commitment 3 increased access to standardised procurement data, improved efficiency, and strengthened price intelligence. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) reported significant government savings, freeing resources for public services.^[2] Custom dashboards for civil society, suppliers, and other stakeholders help key players access relevant information.^[3] However, further work is needed to establish the National Council on Public Procurement, improve data entry, and reduce paperwork.^[4]

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... 5 advanced implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). In particular, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), working with civil society organisations (CSOs), aided the establishment of 150 Host Community Development Trusts, aiming to direct 3% of companies’ annual operating expenditures toward community development. While this represents a notable achievement, further progress is needed to establish and fund trusts in remaining communities, ensure the management bodies represent community interests, and secure companies’ compliance with required payments.

Under Commitment 5, Nigeria launched its Beneficial Ownership Register in 2023, making it accessible to government institutions, CSOs, journalists, and citizens. Regulatory and enforcement agencies are making use of this data, resulting in improved transparency, enforcement, asset recovery, and contributing to Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force Grey List. Possible next steps include increasing compliance by legacy companies, digitising Corporate Affairs Commission records, onboarding professional associations, and documenting the register’s impact and usage.

Implementation in Context
A change in government following the 2023 elections led to leadership transitions across government, impacting implementation. Consequently, some reforms, such as the open budget commitments, did not achieve their intended results. The new administration launched the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ outlining an eight-point reform agenda^[5] alongside the Nigeria First Policy, which aims to promote the use of locally produced goods and services. The Central Delivery Coordination Unit was strengthened to track service delivery and facilitate citizen engagement. Additionally, the removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 impacted budgets and sparked protests due to the rising cost of living. Resultantly, rights-based commitments, such as Commitment 12 on civic space, remain an important area for further progress in Nigeria’s OGP agenda.

Participation and Co-Creation
Nigeria maintained a robust multi-stakeholder process throughout both the co-creation and implementation phases. The National Steering Committee (NSC) and Technical Working Groups (TWG) provided regular opportunities for dialogue among government, CSOs, private sector actors, and development partners. CSOs played a central role by supporting platform design, raising public awareness, building civic tech tools, monitoring implementation, and amplifying citizen feedback. The co-creation process incorporated online surveys, public notices, town halls, and validation meetings. Citizen input influenced the selection of priorities, particularly those focused on service delivery, fiscal transparency, and digital platforms.^[6] However, participation was uneven, with most engagement concentrated in Abuja and Lagos. High logistics costs, limited funding, and accessibility barriers hindered participation from remote regions and individuals with disabilities.^[7] Despite these challenges, Nigeria met all the minimum requirementsAll OGP participating countries are expected to adhere to the Participation and Co-Creation Standards. Each Standard includes clear and measurable minimum requirements that all OGP participating count... under the OGP Participation and Co-Creation StandardsCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders is at the heart of the OGP process. The Participation and Co-Creation Standards are intended to support this collaboration throug....