Civic-Tech Stakeholders Call for Inclusive Governance in Kaduna State
By:Femi Mustapha
A one-day Civic-Tech engagement took place in Kaduna State, uniting stakeholders from the private sector, tech community, civil society, and government.
The event aimed to enhance stakeholders’ ability to leverage the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and inform public governance processes.
This information was shared in a communiqué issued after the event, signed by Emmanuel Adipke, Team Lead of IHIFIX Technologies; Enoch Nalado, Team Lead of the School of Personal & Marketplace Leadership (SPML); and Yusuf Ishaku Goje, Head of Leadership, Governance & Advocacy at CALPED.
The communiqué emphasized that the private sector, particularly the tech community, has a critical role in reducing poverty and unemployment rates in Kaduna State
. It further noted that innovation and technology are essential for governance reform initiatives, and that the state government has made strides in transitioning toward e-governance.
However, despite the availability of platforms for citizen engagement, participation from the private sector—especially tech startups and small to medium-sized businesses—remains low.
Many tech startups encounter challenges, including a weak enabling environment and concerns about monopolistic practices in contract allocations, which limit opportunities for tech companies.
Additionally, the Citizens’ Feedback App has been criticized for its lack of user-friendliness, and restricted access to the back-end by developers raises concerns about transparency and ownership.
To address these issues, a Civic-Tech Network will be initiated to provide a platform for effective engagement in the governance process in Kaduna State.
The Network will mobilize and facilitate capacity-building training on engaging with ongoing governance reforms and developing advocacy plans for members of the tech community.
They will also conduct advocacy visits to relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to foster partnerships and expand engagement opportunities for the tech community.
The state government is encouraged to facilitate a hackathon instead of awarding a single contract for scaling up the Eyes and Ears Project.
This engagement marks a significant step toward promoting inclusive governance and citizen engagement in Kaduna State, with stakeholders committed to collaborating to address the challenges and opportunities within the state’s governance process.
