Kaduna, Stakeholders Validates World-Class OCDS/OC4IDS Portal to Boost Infrastructure Transparency

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

Kaduna State has taken another bold step towards institutionalizing transparency in public infrastructure projects, with the validation of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) and Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS) disclosure platform.

The validation was done on Wednesday, during a 1-day Validation Workshop held in Kaduna.

Organised by the CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative in collaboration with the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) and the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (KADPPA), the workshop brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, the private sector and the media to assess the performance and readiness of the portal for full deployment.

In his welcome remarks, the Director General of KADPPA, Engr. Sanusi Yero, emphasized the importance of the portal in promoting accountability and transparency.

“Having accurate and timely information is essential. It serves as both our record and the foundation for strategic planning in our respective organizations.

“We encourage full engagement and constructive feedback to help ensure this platform becomes a model for the rest of the country,” he said.

He also noted that the State Government is backing the initiative at the highest levels, including the construction of a dedicated office for CoST, as a sign of commitment to institutionalizing transparency mechanisms.

Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Bashir Ladan, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, highlighted Kaduna’s impressive progress.

“The portal we are building is truly world-class. In just two days, over 1,000 projects have already been uploaded, a remarkable achievement that reflects our commitment to openness and effective governance.”

He called on experts and stakeholders to continue supporting the platform and ensure it meets national and international standards.

Providing insight into the workshop’s objectives, Tara Jeremiah, State CoST Manager, said the session aimed to validate the functionality of the OC4IDS portal, improve its user interface and experience, and align stakeholder feedback for broader impact.

“We are not just designing a portal. We are creating a global learning platform.

“With the innovations being built in, Kaduna is poised to become a centre of excellence for CoST implementation globally,” he said.

Participants also discussed data quality standards, technical improvements, and strategies for ensuring the platform becomes a sustainable tool for public oversight.

As Kaduna continues to lead in open governance reforms, the portal is expected to set a precedent for transparency in infrastructure delivery across Nigeria and beyond.