Kaduna Engineers, Government to Drive Transparency in Infrastructure Projects

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna 

The Kaduna State Government and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Kaduna Branch, have pledged to strengthen transparency, accountability, and quality assurance in the delivery of public infrastructure projects through the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST).

Speaking at a one-day awareness-raising workshop held Thursday at the Planning and Budget Commission Conference Hall, Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Mukhtar Ahmed, said the state’s SUSTAIN Agenda is anchored on delivering durable and impactful projects, but their value can only be maximized through openness and integrity.

“The CoST framework ensures every naira spent on public infrastructure delivers maximum value to our communities.

“By engaging with the NSE, we aim to harness your expertise and professional excellence to advance this transformative agenda,” Ahmed said.

The workshop brought together representatives from the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Media, Contractors Association, youth groups, and technical experts. 

Special guest Hamish Goldie-Scot, CoST Technical Adviser from the UK with over 45 years of engineering experience, was also in attendance (virtual).

Highlighting the role of social accountability, Ahmed stressed the importance of collaboration between the private sector and CSOs to hold duty bearers accountable, adding that Kaduna’s ongoing partnership with CSOs under the Open Government Partnership (OGP) offers a strong foundation.

NSE Kaduna Chairman, Engr. Arege Samson, described CoST’s principles as a natural fit for engineering ethics, which include transparency, integrity, and value for money. 

He revealed that the branch’s Infrastructure Scorecard Committee, created to evaluate government projects, had faced difficulties accessing reliable data and project locations.

“I’m hopeful that after today’s workshop, those barriers will no longer hold us back. With these tools, we can now get the information we need to give government infrastructure a proper score,” Samson declared.

Participants emphasized the need for closer collaboration between government, engineers, and civil society to ensure Kaduna’s infrastructure meets the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and accountability.