Initiative trains

The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement, (YIAGA AFRICA), a Nigeria-based non-profit organisation is building the capacity of 34 youths from six northern states to conduct social audits of leaders at the grass root.

The objective of the three day training which has 34 representatives of youth civil society organisations from Adamawa, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and the FCT is aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge to understand the local government budget as well as how to use it to conduct social audits in their respective localities.

YIAGA AFRICA’s Programme Lead for the Anticorruption Project, under the Accountability and Social Justice Programme, Tracy Keshi at the opening ceremony in Jos said the project complements the efforts of state and non-state actors in the fight against corruption through effective citizen oversight and mobilising action for good governance.

Keshi said; “a lot of focus has been on the national budget so we want to build the capacity of young people to conduct social audits and to hold their leaders to account. The search light is now on the local government level and at the end of the day the young people become young anti-corruption change makers.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye said the Commission considers its relationship with YIAGA as a very essential campaign aimed at promoting zero tolerance for corruption, impunity and social injustice.

Owasanoye who was represented by the State Commissioner for Bauchi, Abubakar Dutsinma said, “the things that currently matters now includes the war against corruption.”