Kano State’s latest Open Government Partnership (OGP) election is expected to deepen civil society participation in the design, implementation and monitoring of government reforms, with the newly elected representatives set to play a more active role in shaping governance policies.
The election of civil society representatives into the Kano State OGP Steering Committee and thematic working groups has also renewed attention on the state’s efforts to institutionalise transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance.
Abdulrahman Abdu, newly elected Civil Society Co-Chair for Kano State OGP, said his immediate priority would be to unite and refocus civil society organisations involved in the OGP process while improving their understanding of the partnership’s objectives and procedures.
He said many civil society organisations were still unfamiliar with how OGP operates, making greater awareness and coordination necessary to ensure effective participation.
“My first action for now is uniting, putting together and refocusing the civil society organisations that will work with the OGP and for them to understand OGP processes,” Abdu said.
He explained that OGP was not merely an arrangement between government and civil society, but a partnership requiring commitment from both sides.
According to him, civil society organisations must move beyond being invited to government programmes and become active participants in designing, implementing and monitoring reforms.
“Civil society from now cannot be just a kind of invitee, but they have to be part of the process in designing reforms, in implementing reforms, in monitoring the reforms,” he said.
Abdu said such participation would ensure that reforms ultimately translate into improved public services for poor and vulnerable residents, as well as the wider population of Kano State.
Jonathan Asake, Civil Society Adviser at the OGP National Secretariat in Abuja, who monitored the election, described the exercise as transparent, peaceful and inclusive.
He said the process reflected the fundamental principles of OGP by allowing civil society representatives to emerge through a democratic process.
Asake said the National Secretariat had reviewed concerns earlier raised about the election and subsequently found the preparations by the state secretariat and election committee to be deliberate and thorough.
He said Kano’s institutional support for OGP had also distinguished the state from some other participating states, noting that political commitment was critical to determining whether OGP programmes remained active or became dormant.
According to him, Kano has provided institutional backing, funding, operational facilities and administrative autonomy for its OGP secretariat.
Asake said the level of support provided by Kano was even higher than what was available at the national secretariat in some areas, adding that the state could be presented as a model for other states implementing the OGP framework.
He attributed the sustained political backing to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration and urged the state government to maintain the momentum.
The newly elected civil society representatives are expected to work with their government counterparts on the implementation of Kano State’s Action Plan, which contains governance reforms jointly developed by government and civil society.
Asake stressed that the success of OGP should ultimately be measured by its impact on citizens rather than the positions occupied by members of its structures.
The Kano State OGP Steering Committee operates a 50-50 structure, comprising 10 government representatives and 10 civil society representatives.
The arrangement is designed to promote joint decision-making and strengthen accountability between the two sides.
The state’s priority thematic areas include fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, climate change, service delivery and citizen participation.
Asake also encouraged Kano to participate in the next OGP Global Summit, saying the international platform would enable the state to showcase its governance reforms, attract development partnerships and potentially strengthen investor confidence.
Mustapha Muhammad Abdullahi, Kano State Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership and Senior Special Assistant on Open Government and Accountability Policies, said the election further demonstrated the state government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance.
He said the government had constituted its component of the steering committee through the appointment of commissioners, permanent secretaries and other senior officials who would work alongside the elected civil society representatives.
Abdullahi said the committee would oversee reforms covering access to information, access to justice, citizen engagement, anti-corruption, public service delivery and climate change.
He said Kano’s State Action Plan, signed by the governor in December last year, had already resulted in institutional reforms, including the establishment of the Ministry of Public Procurement.
Abdullahi said the government was also prioritising reforms in agriculture, water resources, education and healthcare as part of efforts to improve services to citizens.
He said Kano’s performance in the national OGP assessment had improved significantly under the current administration, moving from 11th position to fourth within months.
While declining to extensively comment on the conduct of the election, Abdullahi said independent observers were better placed to assess the process, but described the exercise as peaceful and credible.
With the new civil society leadership now in place, attention is expected to shift from the election itself to the implementation of the state’s governance commitments, particularly ensuring that civil society participation produces measurable improvements in transparency, accountability and service delivery across Kano.
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