Kaduna Deepens Infrastructure Transparency with Capacity Building for CSOs and Community Champions
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
As part of measures to advance transparency and citizen engagement in public procurement, the CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative International Secretariat, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) and the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (KADPPA), has conducted a one-day capacity building session for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community Champions.
The training focused on the use of the Kaduna State Open Contracting and Infrastructure Data Standards (OCDS/OC4IDS) disclosure portal.
The session aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of the Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS), enhance their data analysis and presentation skills, and stimulate demand for the CoST Infrastructure Monitoring Tool as a mechanism for tracking infrastructure projects in the state.
Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at PBC, Mr. Bashir Ladan, emphasized the portal’s transformative role in promoting inclusive governance.
“At the heart of this portal lies a singular, transformative purpose: empowering citizens to actively engage with the government using the data and project information published.
“We urge you to leverage this portal to monitor procurement processes and advocate for infrastructure projects that reflect the needs and aspirations of every citizen,” he said.
Ladan described the portal not just as a repository of data but as a tool for accountability, dialogue, and effective collaboration between government and civil society.
In his remarks, Tara Jeremiah, CoST Manager, reinforced the importance of stakeholder engagement for the portal’s success.
“If civil society and the private sector do not actively engage with the infrastructure data portal, then its purpose will be lost,” she said.
He explained that the portal’s development was the result of extensive collaboration, including last year’s user-centered co-creation workshop, and added that the ongoing efforts to identify and incorporate priority indicators were driven by stakeholder input.
Jeremiah also introduced participants to global best practices, highlighting how the CoST social audit tools have been successfully deployed in Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda, and expressed optimism that Kaduna’s localized version could become a model adopted by the global CoST network.
“Our solution could become the new version adopted globally by CoST, making Kaduna’s platform a benchmark,” she said.
He encouraged participants to provide feedback, raise questions, and identify improvements to make the platform even more responsive to user needs.
The training marks another step in Kaduna’s effort to institutionalize open contracting and infrastructure transparency. As more stakeholders are empowered to use the portal, expectations are high that it will drive improved project delivery, enhance public trust, and promote inclusive development across the state.
