Our Open Gov Student Fellows: The Journey So Far 

As part of the objectives of the OGP Student Fellowship, the Open Gov Fellows have been engaging their Area Councils for community-focused actions aimed at improving access to information on participatory budgeting and how citizens can participate in the process.

This community-focused action is an avenue for the six OGP Student Fellows who are currently working to obtain a copy of the budget allocation for the six area Councils in Abuja to discuss the roles of citizens in the budget process in Nigeria.

Let’s dive into what our fellows are doing in their communities.

Kuje Area Council Community Engagement

On the 20th of September 2024, our Fellows under Kuje Area Council visited Agwangede village to engage youths, market women, community members, and school teachers. This engagement’s key activity was mobilising and sensitising over 20 youths in the community on Open Governance and Participatory Budgeting. Contact information sharing was also done to keep them informed on future initiatives. This was also an opportunity for the Fellows to track the status of the letter submitted at the Kuje Area Council Secretariat to obtain a copy of the budget.

Key  Outcomes

1. Successfully created awareness on Open Governance and Participatory Budgeting among young people, market women, locals, and teachers.

2. Established connections with community leaders and stakeholders.

3. Laid groundwork for future engagement and collaboration.

Impact

The community engagement exercise made a significant impact on the people, inspiring them to take an active role in governance and participatory budgeting.

Kwali Area Council Community Engagement

On the 13th of September, 2024 at LEA Primary School, Anguwan Cashew in Kwali Area Council, our Fellows engaged with pupils and teachers. 

Topics included budgeting, spending, and saving money. The pupils were enthusiastic and receptive to the knowledge shared. 

They also held a session with the youths of Kwali Area Council, discussing the benefits of Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Importance of citizen participation, and the Utilization of the Open LGA website as a citizen tool, with the active involvement and contributions from the youth

Our Fellows also visited the Primary Health Clinic, Kwali Area Council to tour the facility.

Impact

Contributions from youth and community members showed how enthusiastic the community is towards understanding the importance of citizen participation.

Gwagwalada Area Council Community Engagement 

On the 23rd of August, 2024, our Fellows visited the Gwagwalada Area Council yesterday to follow up on the Letter of Request submitted to the Area Council Office to obtain a copy of the budget. 

The letter has been duly processed, moving from the Chairman’s office to the Office of the Director of Administration and finally reaching the Council’s Head of Budget Office. 

Impact 

Through our Fellows’ engagement, we’re thrilled to see the Gwagwalada Area Council making significant strides in advancing OGP participation. 

The community-led actions of our fellows create an avenue for further advocacy on participatory budgeting within the six Area Councils in Abuja.