•  As Media Professionals Explore Amoye AI, Examine Project’s Achievements and Civic Innovation

Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD) has reiterated the need for greater transparency, accountability and citizen participation in local government administration in Osun State, calling on journalists to intensify public interest reporting on grassroots governance.

The call was made on Friday during an interactive session themed “Reporting for Grassroots Accountability: Strengthening Osun Local Government Through Public Interest Journalism,” held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Osogbo.

The programme, organised under the OsunOpenLG 2.0 Project, brought together journalists, media executives, civil society actors and governance advocates to examine the critical role of the media in strengthening accountability at the grassroots.

The event also featured the public presentation of the OsunOpenLG 2.0 Strategic Status, Impact and Policy Review, a comprehensive report documenting the project’s implementation from October 2025 to July 2026, its achievements, innovations and policy recommendations.

Delivering the keynote address, the Executive Director of IICSD, Jare Tiamiyu, said democracy can only thrive when citizens have access to credible information and the media consistently demand accountability from public office holders.

He explained that OsunOpenLG was conceived to bridge the information gap around local government administration by providing citizens with timely, accessible and evidence-based information on local government finances, constitutional responsibilities and service delivery.

According to him, the second phase of the project, supported by the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), has focused on integrating civic technology, institutional engagement and media partnerships to deepen transparency and accountability in local governance.

Tiamiyu described journalism and civic engagement as indispensable pillars of democratic governance, urging journalists to move beyond event-based reporting and undertake sustained investigations into local government finances, budget implementation, procurement processes and service delivery.

He noted that despite months of engagement with local government authorities, including Freedom of Information requests seeking details of council finances and expenditures, IICSD was yet to receive comprehensive responses from the leadership of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State.

The Executive Director called on the APC-backed local government chairmen to publicly account for statutory allocations accessed by the councils and provide detailed information on how public funds had been utilised, stressing that transparency remains a constitutional obligation rather than a political choice.

He equally urged local government workers and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to demonstrate patriotism by supporting the restoration of effective local government administration in the interest of the people of Osun.

As part of efforts to improve citizens’ access to governance information, IICSD officially showcased Amoye, Nigeria’s first WhatsApp-based, artificial intelligence-powered civic assistant dedicated to local government administration.

The innovative platform enables citizens to obtain verified information on local government responsibilities, monthly statutory allocations, governance structures, budgets, procurement processes, civic rights and electoral issues through a simple WhatsApp interface, including voice-enabled interaction.

Presenting highlights of the OsunOpenLG 2.0 Strategic Status, Impact and Policy Review, Tiamiyu said the report chronicles the project’s evolution from its launch in May 2024 to its second phase, documenting interventions in civic education, digital innovation, media engagement, institutional partnerships and governance advocacy. The report also reviewed developments surrounding local government administration in Osun State, including the prolonged leadership crisis, the management of council allocations and the need for stronger institutional accountability.

The session featured goodwill remarks and technical presentations from media and governance experts who underscored the indispensable role of journalists in promoting transparency, combating misinformation and strengthening democratic accountability at the grassroots.

Participants commended IICSD for sustaining the OsunOpenLG initiative and for deploying technology to simplify governance information for citizens. They also pledged to deepen collaboration between the media and civil society organisations in promoting accountability and evidence-based reporting on local government administration.

Speaking during the interactive session, participants stressed that local governments remain the closest tier of government to the people and therefore require greater public scrutiny to ensure improved service delivery in areas such as primary healthcare, education, rural infrastructure, environmental sanitation and community development.

The programme concluded with a renewed commitment by journalists and stakeholders to promote public interest journalism that prioritises transparency, citizen engagement and accountability in local governance.

The OsunOpenLG 2.0 Project is implemented by the Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD) with support from the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), implemented by LEAP Africa, and seeks to strengthen open local governance through civic technology, research, media engagement and citizen participation.

Signed:

Sodiq Yusuf
Communications Officer
OsunOpenLG Project