• As Jare Tiamiyu Presents Amoye, Other Milestones In Youth-Led Advocacy On Open Governance In Nigeria

The Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD) has highlighted the growing impact of the Osun Open Local Government Project (OsunOpenLG) on democratic governance and citizen participation following its successful presentation at the African Youth SDGs Summit held in Accra, Ghana, from June 23 to 25, 2026.

The Executive Director of IICSD and Team Lead of the OsunOpenLG Project, Jare Tiamiyu, represented the organisation at the continental gathering as part of the Nigerian Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) delegation, where he shared the OsunOpenLG story as a model of youth-led innovation driving transparency, accountability and open governance in Nigeria.

Speaking during his session, Tiamiyu explained that Nigeria operates a three-tier system of government comprising the Federal, State and Local Governments, each with clearly defined constitutional responsibilities.

He, however, noted that despite receiving substantial monthly allocations, many local governments have historically struggled with transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.

According to him, these challenges informed the establishment of the OsunOpenLG Project by IICSD to bridge the information gap between citizens and local government institutions while promoting openness and accountability at the grassroots.

“Although local governments receive hundreds of millions of naira every month, many citizens know little about their constitutional responsibilities or how public resources are managed. To address this, we established the OsunOpenLG Project and, with the support of the Nigerian Youth Futures Fund, we have been able to open up the local government system to the people,” Tiamiyu said.

He explained that one of the project’s major achievements has been the training of young people across the 30 local government areas of Osun State as OpenLG Advocates, equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to promote transparency, monitor governance and educate their communities on local government administration.

A major highlight of the presentation was the demonstration of Amòye, Nigeria’s first civic-tech artificial intelligence chatbot dedicated to local government administration and open governance.

Tiamiyu described Amòye as a groundbreaking digital civic assistant designed to place governance information directly in the hands of citizens. He noted that the platform enables users to access information on local government responsibilities, public finance, FAAC allocations, grassroots development projects and governance processes from the comfort of their homes.

He further explained that the platform has continued to evolve with additional features, including voter education resources based on the Electoral Act 2026, fact-checking support, voice prompt capabilities and image upload functionality for verifying claims relating to local government administration and public service delivery.

“With Amoye, young people now have access to governance information at their fingertips and within their comfort zones. Beyond local government information, the platform now supports voter education, civic fact-checking and other tools that empower citizens to participate more meaningfully in democratic processes,” he added.

During the interactive session, Tiamiyu also called for stronger collaboration with development partners, civil society organisations, technology innovators and youth-led institutions across Africa to scale the impact of civic technology in advancing open governance and democratic accountability.

He specifically sought partnerships to expand the reach of Amòye and the broader OsunOpenLG Project beyond Osun State, with the long-term vision of supporting similar transparency and citizen engagement initiatives across other states of the federation.

According to him, while the project was conceived to address governance challenges in Osun State, its model is adaptable and scalable, offering practical lessons for strengthening local governance, civic participation and public accountability across Nigeria and other African countries.

He expressed confidence that strategic collaborations with continental and international partners would accelerate the deployment of innovative civic-tech solutions capable of empowering more citizens and improving governance outcomes.

The presentation generated significant interest among delegates from across Africa, who commended the innovative use of artificial intelligence and civic technology to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance.

IICSD noted that the continental recognition of the OsunOpenLG Project reinforces the importance of youth-led initiatives in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to strong institutions, inclusive governance and active citizenship.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the reach of OsunOpenLG and Amoye while continuing to leverage technology, innovation and community engagement to promote accountable governance and deepen democratic participation across Nigeria.

Signed

Sodiq Yusuf
Communications Officer
Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD)
OsunOpenLG Project