Media Rights Agenda, a Civil Society Organization which promotes transparency and defends freedom of expression, conducted a two day workshop for Community Monitors on Tracking Contract Awards and Execution in Abuja on June 29 and 30 2021, with 24 participants comprising 7 females and 17 males.
“We are really looking at how to make the contracting process in Nigeria open and transparent. It is often said that procurement is one of government’s major activities because that is how government implements its projects In different sectors and it is also one of the biggest corruption risks, because when government officials want to be corrupt, contracts is one of the easiest ways to do that”, Executive Director of MRA, Edetaen Ojo explained, in his opening remarks.
He disclosed that the training was being funded by the Williams and Flora Hewlett Foundation and managed by the African Freedom of Information Center.
Many of the participants expressed excitement at the prospect of contributing their quota to the clean-up of Nigeria with the newly acquired skills and thanked the organisers for the opportunity.
Presentations were made by the Executive Director, Edetaen Ojo and the Director of Programmes, Mr Ayode Longe while the Administration Manager, Bunmi Bamiselu, took charge of the logistics.
The event held at the Blue Spring Hotel, close to NANET Suites, just a stone’s throw from the Federal Secretariat complex in Abuja.
Allied resource materials including the gazetted FOI Act, AGF’s Guidelines on FOI Implementation, and a sample FOI request were used at the workshop.
***with Agency reports
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