By Muazu Abubakar Albarkawa The Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI), Dr. Uma...
The Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI), Dr. Umar Yakubu, has said the World Bank's decision to reward 20 Nigerian states with 27 million dollars under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme validates the importance of transparency and accountability in public governance.
Yakubu stated this in a statement issued on Friday, saying the performance-based grants demonstrated that governments which embrace openness, strengthen public financial management and comply with verifiable governance standards are increasingly being rewarded by development partners.
According to him, the grants, announced on June 30 during the retreat of Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Budget and Planning in Abuja, were based on independently verified results in basic education, primary healthcare and public financial management.
He said Bayelsa, Borno, Kano and Yobe met the verification standards in all four assessment areas, while Kebbi qualified in three categories. He added that Abia, Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Taraba also received grants after meeting the required standards in at least one category.
Yakubu noted that 16 states failed to qualify because they did not satisfy one or more of the programme's verification requirements, including compliance with prescribed transparency and disclosure standards.
He explained that one of the key features of the HOPE-GOV assessment was its emphasis on public disclosure, stressing that reforms must be supported by accessible and verifiable information before they can attract development financing.
"The World Bank did not reward promises or policy intentions. It rewarded measurable governance outcomes supported by independently verified evidence," he said.
Yakubu observed that the assessment framework closely aligns with CeFTPI's Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), which evaluates institutions using indicators such as fiscal transparency, open procurement, human resources and inclusion, control of corruption, and citizens' engagement.
He further said the programme's recognition of reforms relating to local government budgeting reinforces the need to strengthen transparency and accountability across Nigeria's 774 local government areas through initiatives such as the Nigerian Local Government Integrity Index (NLGII).
The CeFTPI Executive Director urged all 36 state governments to institutionalise proactive disclosure by regularly publishing budgets, procurement records, audit reports, debt profiles and other statutory documents on official websites.
He also called for stronger coordination among ministries and agencies, greater transparency at the local government level, improved access to public information and increased citizen participation in monitoring government performance.
Yakubu encouraged states that did not benefit from the grants to regard the outcome as an opportunity to strengthen institutional reforms rather than as a condemnation.
He announced that the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index would be released on September 28, 2026, to coincide with the International Day for Universal Access to Information.
According to him, CeFTPI remains committed to promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in public institutions through evidence-based assessments of federal, state and local government institutions across Nigeria.Idan za a buga a Daily Trust, Leadership ko NAN style, zan iya ƙara masa **headline, kicker da dateline** da kuma taƙaita shi zuwa kalmomi 500–700.
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