.jpeg "\"Pillars of democracy: transparency, accountability, and access to information\" - SGF")
According to Akume, having access to information enables people to actively participate in the political process, have educated discussions, and hold their elected officials responsible.
According to the SGF, this is the reason the Federal Government approved the Open Government Partnership, or OGP, to advance the theme of Access to Information, which aims to give citizens the ability to hold government responsible through the release of public information.
The Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR, and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch, CeFTIW, jointly organized the event, which had as its theme "Proactive Disclosure, Access to Information, and Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria," where the Transparency and Integrity Index Assessment for Federal/States Ministries, Departments, and Agencies for the year 2023 was unveiled.
Akume added that proactive information sharing is crucial because it enables the prompt dissemination of accurate information.
He pointed out that by proactively disseminating information, government organizations could make sure that judgments were based on the most recent and correct data, resulting in more informed and efficient policies.
It is important to note that proactive information disclosure is encouraged under the Freedom of Information Act, which aims to empower public institutions to be proactive in sharing information with the public.
While the Access to Information Act is a strong instrument that gives citizens the ability to request and access information held by the government. These tools are crucial for supporting good governance because they increase transparency and accountability.
"Proactive disclosure enhances citizen confidence in the administration. The government has nothing to conceal when information is readily available without the need for official requests, according to him.
The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch was founded to promote good governance by strengthening systems and mechanisms that enhance transparency and accountability of public institutions at the national and sub-national levels, according to Angela Nworgu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch.
Nworgu pointed out that the Center works with partners in the government, media, and civil society to develop and put into action programs and initiatives in data science, budgetary transparency, public sector integrity, and organized crime prevention.
She said that beginning in 2021, the Center created the openness and Integrity Index as a yearly evaluation of how well public institutions adhere to national regulations and international agreements that support accountability and openness in order to reduce corruption.
Nworgu continued by saying that the Index was created to reinforce already-existing legal frameworks for fiscal transparency, institutional capacity to meet these frameworks' requirements, and most crucially, to create an informed populace that can hold the government responsible.
"Today, we are presenting the third edition of the Transparency and Integrity Index as part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining this project and upholding the principles of integrity within public institutions," she stated.
We assessed the transparency and accountability of public institutions, states, and local governments with reference to the principles of proactive disclosure, and we published a thorough report on our findings.
"The Transparency and Integrity Index 2023 is the result of in-depth study of data, collaboration with external validators, and rigorous research. It demonstrates how committed we all are to the principles of openness, responsibility, and good governance.
Given the concern about preventing corruption on the continent, we firmly believe that using the TII as a tool to assess public sector compliance with legislation promoting open governance, transparency, and accountability can help the fight against corruption.
The Transparency and Integrity Index evaluation, according to Dasuki Arabi, director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, aims to promote programs aimed at fostering accountability and transparency among all of the government's ministries, departments, and agencies, or MDAs.
In the context of governance, transparency, according to Arabi, is of the utmost importance. He described it as a catalyst and driving force for encouraging openness, accountability, and good governance in the nation.
In light of the country's ranking in the corruption index throughout the years, he came to the conclusion that the path toward good governance has become more appealing.