By: Valentine Adese (JP),
The Deputy Country Director of Tearfund Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Allo has explained that, the Youth Town Hall meeting facilitated by Jos Green Centre in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Saturday, the 5th of March, 2022 is aimed at Engaging Youths through Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Aloo, who spoke through his representative at the occasion of the Programme titled: Engaging Youth through Open Government Partnership (OGP) at the Nigeria Bible Translation Trust Compound, Old Airport Road, Jos, further explained that, “The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and sub-national governments to promote open government, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance”.
According to the Deputy Director, the Jos Youth Town hall Meeting on OGP is laced with the objective to build the capacity of 250 Youth on Advocacy, Movement building and Open Government Partnership, which would enable them to constructively engage governance through OGP and to make contributions leading to a transparent, just, peaceful, and inclusive Plateau state.
According to him, other objectives of the meeting include:
- To support 250 Youth develop a Youth-focused toolkit that supports long term constructive youth engagement in Plateau State by July 31st 2022
- To enable 250 youth campaigns around the OGP contributing to raising awareness on it and securing buy-ins from Citizens in Plateau State
- To reduce violence among young people and contribute to long term peace and security in Plateau State.
It is also disclosed during the meeting that, Jos Green Centre is not just stopping at the level of holding a one day Town hall event on this, but would also put in place a robust process for putting together an accessible on-line toolkit that would equip youths to participate and promote accountable, responsive, and inclusive governance.
In his Keynote Address at the meeting, Engr. David Jaafaru Wuyep, who is the Chief Technical Advisor, PMRDO explained that, “the OGP is a multilateral initiative that brings together governments at various levels and Civil Society Organizations from across the world to participate in governance that is open, transparent, accountable, and serves the needs of the people”.
He said the OGP is hinged on four cardinal principles: Accountability, Transparency, Inclusion and the Use of Technology and Innovation to drive these three.
Taking the historical lane he disclosed that, Nigeria signed up for the OGP and was admitted in 2016, while Plateau State submitted its application to join the OGP Local in October 2020 and was accepted as part of the 2020 intake being one of the only three states in Nigeria admitted into the OGP Local (which is for sub-national governments) with Kaduna State and Abuja Municipal Council being the other two.
Adding that, “Since then, the Plateau State Government has worked together with various CSOs in the state to develop Plateau State’s first OGP Action Plan, which is underpinned by five thematic areas: Fiscal Transparency, Citizens Engagement, Extractives Transparency of Gender, Peace and Security”.
On his part, Fwangmun Oscar Danladi (Team Lead, Jos Green Centre) while discussing on the topic, WHY ARE WE HERE? Said, the project has three clear pathways:
(1) A Townhall that Promotes Youth understanding and participation in OGP constructively and to develop.
(2) A Technical session that will bring 5 young people to brainstorm over reflections from the townhall. And
(3) A Toolkit that equips youths to promote accountable, responsive, and inclusive governance deployed online.
READ THE WELCOME ADDRESS OF MR. JOSEPH ALOO BELOW:-
Welcome Address of the Country Director of Tearfund Nigeria on the occasion of the Programme titled Engaging Youth through Open Government Partnership (OGP) on Saturday 5 February 2022 at Nigeria Bible Translation Trust Compound, Old Airport Road, Jos.
Good Morning, I bring you greetings from the Country Director and Staff team of Tearfund Nigeria on this historic occasion facilitated by Jos Green Centre to Engage Youth through Open Government Partnership (OGP). The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and sub-national governments to promote open government, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance
It is worthy of note that Plateau State is the 14″ State to sign up to the OGP in 2020 as a reflection of its commitment to promote transparency, inclusiveness and citizens participation in good governance in the state.
One of the Central lessons from the ENDSARS riots of 2020 was the critical need to create the enabling space for conversations that supports inclusiveness, participation and constructive engagement of Nigeria’s massive youth population.
It is heart-warming to note that Jos Green Centre is the first and only youth-led movement who are pioneering the deployment of the OGP Platform in Nigeria to create the space for constructive engagements with youth.
It is equally worthy of note that Jos Green Centre is not just stopping at the level of holding a one day Town hall event on this but has also put in place a robust process for putting together an accessible on-line toolkit that equips youth to participate and promote accountable, responsive, and inclusive governance.
This approach by Jos Green Centre is indeed a significant contribution to enabling the plateau state model to the Nigerian nation through the OGP Platform on how to transition from the path of ‘demographic disaster’ to ‘demographic dividend’ as it reaps from youth perspectives, creativity and inventiveness through this historic program held today.
I on behalf of the Country Director and Staff team of Tearfund Nigeria congratulate Jos Green Centre for pioneering this ground-breaking initiative as I invite youth in Plateau state and Nigeria to join this process as they contribute to the emergence of a peaceful, just, free and compassionate state and nation that works for the common good.
Joseph Aloo
Deputy Country Director
Tearfund Nigeria
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