Kano State has elected new civil society representatives into its Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee and thematic working groups, a move expected to strengthen civil society participation in government reforms.
The newly elected Civil Society Co-Chair for Kano State OGP, Abdulrahman Abdu, said his immediate priority would be to unite and refocus civil society organisations involved in the partnership while improving their understanding of OGP processes.
According to him, many organisations are still unfamiliar with how the partnership operates, making greater awareness and coordination essential.
"My first action for now is uniting, putting together and refocusing the civil society organisations that will work with the OGP and for them to understand OGP processes," Abdu said.
He stressed that the Open Government Partnership is a collaboration between government and civil society that requires active participation from both sides.
Abdu said civil society organisations should move beyond simply attending government programmes and become involved in designing, implementing and monitoring governance reforms.
"Civil society from now cannot be just a kind of invitee, but they have to be part of the process in designing reforms, in implementing reforms, in monitoring the reforms," he said.
He added that stronger collaboration would help ensure reforms translate into improved public services for residents across Kano State.
Jonathan Asake, Civil Society Adviser at the OGP National Secretariat, described the election as transparent, peaceful and inclusive, saying it reflected the partnership's core principles.
He noted that concerns previously raised about the election had been reviewed and that the state secretariat and election committee had made deliberate efforts to ensure a credible process.
Asake also commended Kano State's institutional support for OGP, citing the provision of funding, operational facilities and administrative autonomy for the state secretariat.
According to him, the level of support provided by Kano could serve as a model for other states implementing the OGP framework.
He attributed the sustained commitment to the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and urged the government to maintain the momentum.
The newly elected civil society representatives will work alongside government officials to implement Kano State's Action Plan, which outlines governance reforms jointly developed by both parties.
Asake said the success of the initiative should ultimately be measured by improvements in education, healthcare, water supply, climate action and overall public service delivery.
The Kano State OGP Steering Committee operates under a 50-50 structure comprising 10 government representatives and 10 civil society representatives to promote joint decision-making and accountability.
Its priority areas include fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, climate change, service delivery and citizen participation.
Kano State Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership and Senior Special Assistant on Open Government and Accountability Policies, Mustapha Muhammad Abdullahi, said the election demonstrated the state's commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance.
He said the government had already constituted its own members of the steering committee, including commissioners, permanent secretaries and other senior officials who will work alongside the elected civil society representatives.
Abdullahi added that Kano's State Action Plan, signed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in December last year, has already led to institutional reforms, including the establishment of the Ministry of Public Procurement.
He said the government is also prioritising reforms in agriculture, water resources, education and healthcare, adding that Kano has improved from 11th to fourth place in the national OGP assessment under the current administration.
With the new leadership now in place, attention is expected to shift toward implementing governance reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability and service delivery across the state.
