Plateau State has won the Open Government Partnership Award for increasing transparency and accountability in Extractives at the 2021 OGP Local Innovation Awards held on 14th December 2021 in Seoul, South Korea and broadcast worldwide on social media platforms.
To emerge victorious, Plateau State participated in the competitive process which generated 60 applications in the Local Innovation Awards category where over 11,000 members of the OGP community voted across the world.
It came first in the Africa and Middle East Region followed by Nandi-Kenya in second place, and Tangier-Morocco in the third place.
Announcing the Awards, the OGP recognised the efforts of the Plateau State Government in entrenching transparency and accountability in governance through various initiatives that support prudent resource management, involment of the citizens, blocking leakages and building institutions that enhance and deepen transparency in governance.
The Award is also in recognition of the level of stakeholder engagement in budgeting, adherence to laid down procedures in government expenditure, and deployment of structures such as the Efficiency Unit, Bureau for Public Procurement, Project Monitoring and Result Delivery Unit.
Reacting to the award, according to a statement from his office, Governor Simon Lalong said he was excited to receive the news which attests to the efforts of his Rescue Administration to give value to the people through prudent management of resources, accountability and transparency.
He said “I am happy that our efforts in redefining governance in Plateau State are receiving local and global attention. Last year, we were adjudged to be the second least corrupt state in Nigeria by the National Bureau for Statistics which made it very easy for us to be accepted into the OGP.
“Shortly after joining the OGP, we have been assessed and awarded with the recognition for transparency and accountability. This is a great morale booster which will spur us to do more as we continue to give value to our people and deliver the dividends of democracy”.
He commended the OGP State Focal office and the entire bureaucracy of the State for playing their roles in ensuring that transparency and accountability is implemented and recognized at home and abroad leading to the Award.