The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BudgiT Information Technology Network to open up its budget for the public and provide Nigerians with all the necessary information during its implementation.
With this development, NPA becomes the first agency of the Federal Government to open up its budget to public scrutiny. It is another major feat of the present NPA management led Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman.
The MoU, which was signed weekend by the management of the NPA and BudgiT Information Technology Network will assist the NPA in promoting transparency and accountability in all its operations.
NPA ‘s Managing Director, Usman said that the partnership became necessary for the development of an open budget system platform and implementation of a public data dissemination programme that will help the agency in blocking revenue leakages.
BudgiT, she said, had achieved feats in the space of socio-technological advocacy towards opening up public budgets for citizens’ comprehension.
BudgiT, according to her, started operation in 2011.
With the MoU, she said, NPA would be able to deliver on its mandate and create more wealth for Nigerians.
The MoU, Usman added, would also assist NPA as a critical organ in the economic artery of the nation to promote effective and efficient management of all its 24 terminals across the country.
The partnership, the Managing Director said, apart from promoting transparency in public expenditure, would also instill a framework for transparent budget provisions for the authority, allow stakeholders make inputs, encourage participatory governance by way of feedbacks and create an enabling environment to encourage foreign investment.
“The collaboration will ensure that key researches, industry policies and innovations are effectively communicated. It will also ensure that critical data are generated and made accessible for policy makers, private sector actors, stakeholders and the general public.
In his remark, the Lead Partner of BudgiT, Oluseun Onigbinde said NPA was the first revenue generating government agency to make its budget public and assured that the management of the NPA would not regret keying into the programme .
He said the collaboration, in addition to promoting probity, transparency and accountability, would also restore government and public confidence in NPA.
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