Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, Bauchi State governor said his administration has in 2022 made the decision for the state to become a member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), with the primary aim of advancing transparency and fostering active citizen participation in governance to drive growth and development.
The governor made the pronouncement during an evening event on Thursday, where he officially unveiled the State Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership (OGP) for the period spanning 2023 to 2025.
The governor said that the 2023-2025 OGP plan would focus on Open Access to Information, Citizens’ Engagement, Fiscal Transparency and Strengthening Social Protection System.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an initiative that aims to promote transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and the use of technology to strengthen governance and fight corruption.
Bauchi Ranks 22nd in 2022 Fiscal Year Performance, as Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba Make Bottom List
The main goal of the Open Government Partnership is to encourage governments to become more open and responsive to their citizens by committing to specific actions and reforms. These commitments can include things like improving access to government information, enhancing civic engagement in policy-making, implementing anti-corruption measures, and using technology to increase government transparency.
Despite Claims, Bauchi Ranked Low In Budget Transparency In Northeast
However, available evidence within Bauchi starkly contradicts the assertions made by Governor Bala Mohammed. For example checks conducted by WikkiTimes reveals that the primary website of the State government (https://www.bauchistate.gov.ng/), which houses crucial information, is currently non-functional as of press time.
WikkiTimes also found that Bauchi state has failed to upload its vital information on states procurement portal (http://www.stateopencontracting.com/) housing important procurement information.
A 2021 report by Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), seen by WikkiTimes, Bauchi is ranked the 6th and last position in budget transparency.
The state governor Bala Mohammed in several public fora says his government remains open and transparent in its business of governance.
Contrary to the claims, the report says Bauchi is the least transparent state, below insurgent ravaged Yobe State.
Similarly, a 2022 report by, BudgIT a civic tech organization ranked Bauchi as the 22nd state among Nigeria’s 36 in terms of fiscal year performance and transparency. The report centers on enhancing transparency, citizen engagement, and accountability, with a particular emphasis on public finance.
Also, a report published by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, which meticulously detailed the operation of open contracting portals across various Nigerian states, found that the portals in Bauchi, meant to contain valuable information, were not operational.
The report found that Bauchi was among several states in Nigeria making open contracting portals inaccessible and hiding awarded contracts from citizens.
The ICIR report notes that in certain states, including Bauchi, significant issues such as essential procurement particulars have been omitted, rendering the unveiling of the portals futile.
Abia, Bayelsa, Bauchi, and Gombe states encountered this challenge, as they shared incomplete information regarding the contracts awarded by their respective governments, the report notes. Essential details such as contractor information and contract amounts were conspicuously absent, leaving only project titles and procurement entities available.
The Right Man of the Right Time Kauran Bauchi.