The Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), a civil society organization fostering accountability in Nigeria, has unveiled plan to establish a Policy Accountability Lab (PAL) in Nigeria. In a statement signed by its Communications Associate, Judith Nwokoro, the organization marking eight years of impactful interventions in Nigeria stated that what is next on its agenda is to set up a PAL Centre to enhance and support implementation of policies at national and subnational levels in Nigeria.
Over the past eight years, PLSI has maintained its leading voice as a public audit advocate, bridging the gap between citizens and the government through active engagement with Nigeria’s public audit system. “We have worked very hard to strengthen public finance management in Nigeria particularly public auditing and we are now connecting public finance with policies of governments to ensure that these instruments of development deliver positive results to the people. We want to ensure that Nigerians live quality lives and one way to deliver that goal is by ensuring that policies of governments at national and subnational levels especially those targeted at improving the quality of life for citizens produce expected results”.
The Policy Accountability Lab (PAL) initiative will serve as the Centre for policy research and analysis, policy monitoring and evaluation, policy advocacy and reform, capacity building for effective implementation of policies and public engagement to enhance participation in policy-making process, promoting inclusive governance. The Lab will work closely with key stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of government policies and strengthen mechanisms for public accountability.
Speaking on PLSI’s plan, the Executive Director, Olusegun Elemo, remarked, “Our eight-year journey has been driven by the belief that public accountability is the foundation for sustainable development, and it must be the norm rather than exception. We are thrilled with the progress we’ve made, the results we’ve achieved and the journey ahead especially with our plan to establish a Policy Accountability Lab in Nigeria. With this innovative move, PLSI will deepen its commitment to providing a structured pathway for citizens to engage with, evaluate, and shape policies that affect their lives.”
Mr. Elemo added, “As we broaden our impact from the federal to subnational levels across Nigeria, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges in promoting accountability in public financial management and implementation of policies. However, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the cause, and we will continue to push for accountability required to achieve good governance and sustainable development in Nigeria.”
PLSI also commends the President’s commitment to assent to the Federal Audit Bill, as promised during the unveiling of the Office of the Auditor-General’s Strategic Plan 2024–2028 in Abuja. We urge the National Assembly (Senate) to accelerate legislative activities on this important bill and transmit it to the President for assent to bolster anti-corruption efforts, enhance transparency in public financial management, and empower the Office of the Auditor-General to fulfill its constitutional mandate of ensuring efficient use of public resources and effective implementation of policies.
