Report Carpets States for Opaque Budgetary Processes

A report has highlighted the failure of most states of the federation to provide meaningful opportunities for the public to participate in the budget process.

The report said governments had not been transparent about how they raised and allocated funds and had not been held accountable for implementing decisions.

According to the 2018 Nigerian States Budget Transparency Survey Results launched yesterday by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), only two states: Jigawa and Anambra, out of the 36 states surveyed offered genuine participation opportunities.

The report expressed concerns that without opportunities for citizens’ active participation, particularly citizens from marginalised or vulnerable groups, budget systems may only serve the interests of powerful elites.

It noted that most of the states provided minimal information on the budget, few spaces for public participation, and limited information on the procurement process.

Speaking at the public presentation of the report, CIRDDOC Lead Researcher/ Project Coordinator, Ralph Ndigwe, said budget debates were often relegated to economists and other experts, limiting the broader public’s input on the sources of public resources, how they should be spent, and who should benefit from public expenditure.

“All citizens have the right to participate in the budget process and to know where public resources come from, how they are spent, and how expenditure is linked to achieving development goals,” he said.

He added that though the overall score had improved by three points when compared to 2015 survey results with an average score of 29, most states didn’t publish enough budget information, saying states have limited spaces for citizens to be involved in the budget process, or be provided with minimal information.

According to him, 13 states had almost no budget information, nonexistent spaces for public consultation, and opaque procurement processes.