A new report by BudgIT has revealed significant gaps in transparency at Nigeria’s local government level, with only 10 states providing publicly accessible annual budgets for their Local Government Areas.
The report, titled The Missing Tier Mapping Local Government Budget Transparency in Nigeria, highlights that while six states offer partial disclosures, as many as 18 states do not publish any Local Government budget information at all.
According to BudgIT, although budgets exist across all 774 Local Government Areas, they are mostly kept within council secretariats and remain inaccessible to citizens online. This lack of transparency limits public accountability and restricts citizens’ ability to track how funds are allocated and spent at the grassroots level.
Among the states reviewed, Ekiti State emerged as the leader in Local Government budget transparency. Other states identified include Ebonyi State, Osun State, Kebbi State, Kogi State, Enugu State, Kaduna State and Yobe State.
However, the report cautioned that even in these states, the quality of available data varies widely. In many cases, the information is outdated, incomplete or poorly structured, reducing its usefulness for meaningful public engagement.
BudgIT emphasized that improving access to Local Government financial data is critical for strengthening governance, enhancing accountability and promoting citizen participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The findings underscore the urgent need for state governments to adopt open budget practices at the local level, ensuring that citizens can easily access, understand and monitor how public resources are managed within their communities.
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