50 Anambra Youths to Monitor Projects, Hold Government Accountable
Fifty youths from Anambra State’s 21 local government areas have been equipped to scrutinise government-funded infrastructure projects and promote accountability in public spending under a six-month citizen-monitoring initiative.
The fellows, selected under the Anambra Youth Accountability Hub (AYAH), are expected to monitor and document at least 100 public projects, providing community-level evidence of project implementation and identifying gaps between government plans, budgetary allocations and actual delivery.
The initiative, implemented by the Creative Minds Center for Youth and Community Development (CM-CYCD), with support from the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), seeks to deepen youth participation in governance and strengthen citizens’ oversight of public resources.
Speaking during a capacity-building training for the selected fellows in Awka, the Executive Director of CM-CYCD and Project Lead of AYAH, Ugochi Freeman, said the programme was designed to give young people practical tools to influence governance and improve service delivery.
Freeman maintained that young people should move beyond being described as future leaders to becoming active participants in present-day governance.
“Young people are not just leaders of tomorrow; they are active citizens and accountability champions of today,” she said.
She explained that the training would equip the fellows with knowledge of public budget tracking, procurement processes, infrastructure monitoring, the Freedom of Information Act, data collection, project documentation, verification and evidence-based advocacy.
Freeman stressed that the initiative was not intended to antagonise government officials but to promote transparency through constructive engagement and credible information.
“Accountability is not about fighting government or embarrassing public officials. It is about asking the right questions, seeking accurate information, identifying gaps, presenting credible evidence, and engaging constructively with relevant authorities to encourage improvements,” she stated.
She urged the fellows to shun rumours, avoid unnecessary confrontation and uphold integrity, impartiality, respect, inclusion and confidentiality while monitoring projects in their respective communities.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Chukwukadibia Okoye, represented by Rev. Dr Jude Nwadavid, described citizen oversight as an important link between government planning and effective delivery of development projects.
He said public budgeting and development planning would achieve better results when citizens, particularly young people, actively monitored how allocated resources were utilised.
“Policy design and resource allocation are only half of the equation. True accountability happens when citizens, especially the youth, have the capacity, tools, and courage to track implementation, evaluate results, and ask the right questions,” he said.
Okoye explained that Anambra’s development priorities were guided by citizens’ needs, available data, the state’s medium-term development plan and its long-term Vision 2070.
He noted that the government adopted participatory and evidence-based budgeting, with priority attention to health, education, infrastructure and youth empowerment.
According to him, the relationship between budgeting, development planning, citizen participation and accountability determines whether public expenditure translates into meaningful benefits for communities.
“Public budgeting without proper development planning is wasteful. Development planning without citizen participation is blind. And citizen participation without accountability is fruitless,” he said.
The commissioner described the fellows as potential budget champions and development monitors, assuring them of the ministry’s readiness to engage young people interested in understanding public finance and governance.
In his remarks, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Anambra State, Mr Dio Emmanuel A., represented by Superintendent Sanni Ohiare Samson, said promoting integrity among young people was critical to preventing corruption.
He observed that corruption thrived in environments where integrity was compromised and accountability mechanisms were weak.
The ICPC representative said the commission’s responsibilities covered enforcement, prevention and public enlightenment, emphasising that citizens and community stakeholders had important roles in combating corruption.
“As young people, you are not just the leaders of tomorrow; you are partners in the fight against corruption today,” he said.
He urged the fellows to demonstrate personal integrity, monitor public projects responsibly and report suspected wrongdoing through lawful channels.
He also cautioned them against resorting to violence or defamation in challenging corrupt practices, assuring them of the commission’s willingness to support initiatives that promote transparency and responsible citizen engagement.
The training brought together the 50 selected fellows drawn from the state’s 21 local government areas, who committed themselves to the objectives of the programme.
Through the planned monitoring of at least 100 infrastructure projects within six months, AYAH is expected to strengthen grassroots oversight of public expenditure while creating opportunities for young people to assess whether government projects translate into tangible improvements in the lives of residents.
