Planning and budget commissioner Mukhtar Ahmed has reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening social accountability in the infrastructure sector.

Mr Ahmed said this at a one-day media and civil society organisations dialogue workshop on social accountability projects using disclosed data.

The workshop, organised by the State Planning and Budget Commission, was in collaboration with Kaduna’s Public Procurement Authority. It aims to enhance the capacity of CSOs and media practitioners to understand data points published through the newly aligned Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standards portal.

Mr Ahmed said Governor Uba Sani’s administration was open to constructive criticisms and was actively supporting the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative.

The commissioner said, ”This is why I encourage everyone to explore the CoST interactive portal and examine the government’s activities directly. We are committed to a competitive and transparent process that allows stakeholders to engage and make informed decisions. Governor Uba Sani is not just committed to transparency and accountability; he actively supports the CoST initiative and its goals.

“Let us continue to leverage the CoST platform to enhance service delivery, improve infrastructure outcomes, and demonstrate measurable performance across the state.”

Earlier, Tara Jeremiah, the CoST manager in Kaduna, stated that the workshop aimed to strengthen collaboration between civil society and the media to build a robust social accountability platform under the CoST Initiative.

Mr Jeremiah explained that the goal of the platform was to drive improved service delivery in the infrastructure sector. He added that some see civil society efforts as intrusive or unnecessary, especially when there is a lack of formal access to information due to the absence of a freedom of information law in Kaduna.

On his part, Ahmed Baba, the chairman of the Contractors Association in Kaduna, appealed to the government to consistently implement approved budgets on time to prevent inflation on projects.

The principal quantity surveyor of the State Public Procurement Authority, Henry Tingong, warned contractors to refrain from delivering substandard projects due to changes in the prices of building materials as of the time they secured approval for project execution.

The chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Arege Bawa, assured civil society and the media that his members are ready to offer professional views on project monitoring.

(NAN)