Findings from a survey conducted by YouthHub Africa in partnership with Actionaid has indicated that majority of residents within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are not aware of one billion naira and one hundred and fifty million budget for the provision and installation of solar street lights and construction of solid waste transfer stations in the FCT.
According to the report, The project, carefully selected from the Appropriated bill for 2023 was seen
as 0231003001 – National Rural Electrification Agency with code: ERGPIO188927 (Provision and
Installation of Solar Street in Selected Communities Across FCT Abuja) budgeted to be 150,
000, 000 and the second project identified as 0437001001 Federal Capital Territory Administra-
tion with code : ERGP21194598 (Construction of Solid Waste Transfer Stations in FCT) with
budget of 1, 000,000,000.
The survey which pointed out that both projects were 31 percent and 11 percent completed, regretted that only 3.5 percent and 7.2 percent of residents across the FCT have access to information on the projects and their budgets.
The survey further revealed that the authorities did not properly engage stakeholders from the communities were the projects are been cited, noting that the development may lead to low level of sustainability and community ownership.
Speaking during the presentation of the study, Friday in Abuja, YouthHub Africa, Executive Director, Rotimi Olawale, said the scorecard was a statistical log for assessing strides or advancements made toward a specific objective, adding that the scorecard assumes the role of a Social Audit on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, functioning as an advocacy tool for climnate-resilient projects in the FCT.
“The total scores for the individual components sum up to 40.7 percent for the solid waste transfer
stations project and 73.8 percent for the solar street lights project.
“The solar street lights project demonstrates higher progress, community engagement, expected environmental benefits, innovation potential, and sustainability planning than the solid waste transfer stations project.
“Additionally, while the solar streetlights project is marked as completed, the solid waste
transfer stations project is still in progress. This comprehensive analysis is based on feed-
back from the Focus Group Discussion across 10 communities, ensuring the representation of
young girls, women, men, and conmmunity leaders.”
Olawale said the initiative to develop a scorecard aims to enhance transparency and accountability in governance, maintaining that it seeks to provide a platform for citizens to assess government performance concerning interventions in their communities.
Adding: “This approach enables citizens to evaluate and present a comprehensive scorecard, highlighting the impact of government initiatives on their communities, thus fostering better governance practices”
In his recommendations, the Director stressed the need for community stakeholders engagement in budget planning to ensure community needs are captured.
He also called on the government to encourage community consultations to foster community ownership in projects and foster understanding of sustainability.
