Arewa Research and Development Project with the support from MacArthur Foundation has organized a one-day-high level meeting with the state and non-state actors who are to drive the Open Government Partnership (OGP) project in Zamfara State.
The meeting which was held in Kaduna had the Secretary to Zamfara State Government Kabiru Balarabe Dan isah in attendance as well as the Co-chair of the Zamfara OGP initiative for the government who doubled as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy Garzali Shehu Bungudu.
Some selected civil society representatives also attended the meeting, where critical issues regarding commitment and strategic plans for the two years engagement were deliberated.
Director Arewa Research and Development Project Prof. Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe chaired the meeting and called on both government actors and civil society representatives to play active complimentary roles in making sure that governance has been improved in Zamfara State.
He said Zamfara right from the concept of its birth was created because of its visible solid minerals and agricultural potentials, but noted that over the years things began to fall apart and the state is suffering from the menace of poor governance.
On his part, Secretary to Zamfara State Government Kabiru Balarabe Danisah expressed happiness with the ARDP initiative of bringing together the government actors and civil society organizations to work together for the success of the OGP project in Zamfara noting that the state government would do everything required to make sure that Zamfara state has excelled among other states that have joined OGP.
He assured that since the Governor has given him free hand to initiate and bring new ideas that would change the fortune of things in Zamfara he would not relent to partnering with the ARDP in charting the way forward for Zamfara, especially in the areas of extractive transparency.
At the end of the meeting 30th August to 3rd September 2021 was proposed for the meeting to adopt Zamfara State action plans for the OGP as well as inauguration of the state steering committee but subject to the convenience of the Governor who is to chair the the inauguration session.
