BudgIT Podcast: Recent Episodes
BudgIT Foundation
BudgIT Foundation is a foremost civic-tech organisation leading the advocacy for fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance, as well as across other African Countries. We play an active role in project tracking and implementation in Nigeria’s 36 states and also have a series of tech products that help citizens to follow the budget and government spending thereby holding elected officials accountable.
Join us every month for conversations on grassroots engagement, governance, public finance, budget analysis, project tracking and service delivery, extractive transparency and social innovation.
In this episode, we explore the crucial role of service delivery in national development, highlighting key findings from Tracka’s latest report, the challenges faced, and how both the government and citizens can contribute to improving service delivery and strengthening accountability efforts.
In this episode, we explore the critical role of women's economic empowerment in driving national growth and development, emphasising the need for policies that support women across all sectors. Women make up a significant portion of Nigeria’s population, yet many face barriers to economic participation due to systemic challenges, including limited access to finance, education, and leadership opportunities.
Pensions for political and public officeholders are a widely adopted governance measure aimed at discouraging corruption during their tenure and providing security after leaving office. However, can the state government sustain this financially?
In this episode, we discuss local government autonomy in Nigeria, exploring its potential impact on governance at the community level. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits and challenges of local government autonomy, with a strong emphasis on citizen participation for better governance.
Nigeria's new minimum wage is now ₦70,000, with reviews set every three years. What does this mean for workers and the economy? In this episode, our guest breaks down the agreement and its implications.
Climate change is adversely affecting the environment, manifesting in phenomena like heatwaves and flooding. This episode delves into Nigeria's initiatives and commitments aimed at mitigating climate change impacts.
This episode discusses the pivotal roles of transparency and accountability in curbing budget padding, highlighting their significance in fostering public trust and ensuring fiscal responsibility.
A compelling discussion sharing the experiences and discoveries of an investigative journalist who utilized the Govspend civic tech tool to advocate for transparency and accountability, ensuring that public funds benefit the people.
Corruption thrives when citizens are unaware! Public officials don't just steal, they exploit procedures. Without citizen vigilance, we can't stop corruption. Episode 2 of Civic Bants discusses how Nigerians can 'Follow the Money' and hold politicians accountable!
Our first episode for the year delves into the inside scoop at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), shedding light on the key takeaways and bold eco-vows and pledges made by Nigeria to navigate climate finance hurdles and combat climate change.
In this episode, we delved into the social and economic opportunities presented by the Nigeria Energy Transition. We also explored the financing roadmap for this plan and its fiscal implications, particularly in light of the country's significant reliance on oil.
In this episode of "What's Next?", we delved into the healthcare system in Nigeria and discussed the health priorities of the new administration. We also examined the challenges faced by the sector, strategies to improve access to quality healthcare services, and a quick analysis of the nation's budgetary allocations for healthcare.
The What’s next series continues. In this episode, we examine how citizens can make a difference by pressing for greater transparency and accountability from the government. Get ready to be moved by the enormous potential for change that is in everyone of us. It is time to take back what is rightfully ours, to ask questions, and to reform the entire basis of government itself.
This is the pilot for a new series called "What's Next?" In this episode, we examine the current economic situation in Nigeria and the next steps for the incoming administration.
The What's Next campaign, brought to you by BudgIT is designed to drive conversations on the need for citizens to use an array of civic tools and demand accountability in governance. You also can be a part of the conversation using the hashtag - #WhatsNextNigeria
Since its release in August 2022, mixed reactions have trailed Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan. The plan, among other things, will lift 100 million people out of poverty and reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint. It is also designed to drive economic growth and manage the expected long-term job loss in the oil sector due to reduced global fossil-fuel demand. In this episode, we assessed the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan and what is required for the nation to lead a successful transition.
Over the years, individuals, not-for-profit organisations, and humanitarian actors have championed causes, programs, and initiatives that have positively influenced human rights, civic engagement, and effective service delivery in Nigeria. In one way or another, these works have helped shape the development narrative within the civic space. This episode spotlights the contributions of Hope Behind Bars Africa and its advocacy for social justice and equity in Nigeria.
Good governance cannot happen without active citizens. It is the responsibility of the government, CSOs and citizens to ensure good governance in Nigeria. Instead of ‘Japa plans’, Citizens need to pick up the mantle and play their part in ensuring a better democratic society. This episode captures the need for citizens’ involvement in grassroots engagement and community development.
The rapidly changing dynamics and volatility of the oil market have underscored the need for building material fiscal savings. Hence, the establishment of the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) by the federal government. This episode captures the operations, objectives and issues of the Sovereign Wealth Fund and the Excess Crude Oil Account as strategic tools for sustainable development.
The second episode of the conversation on Open Contracting focuses on the challenges of its implementation at the subnational level, the contributions of Civil Society Organizations, the role of legislatures, and the next steps.
Open contracting and transparency in public procurement have proven to reduce corruption, be cost-effective and improve citizens' involvement in governance. In this episode, we sat with some bright minds of BudgIT to discuss how open contracting and public procurement is beneficial to subnational governments and the contributions of Civil Society Organizations in the implementation process.
For Africa to fully harness the potential of its youth agency, achieve rapid economic growth and work effectively towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, there is a critical need for inclusive programs on youth development. In this episode, catch the next generation of change leaders as they share their experience and thought projects from the Youth Leadership Programme 2022.
The conversation continues on the role of transparency and accountability in the governance of State-Owned Enterprises. The discussion addressed understanding the roles citizens can play in the transparency and accountability space, how not having a transparent and accountable set of government-owned companies can affect the private sector investments and the gains of having a clear and answerable public government.
More discoveries have been made following the passing of the 2022 budget. This episode captures these issues and their economic implications, while exploring the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal Government expenditure management, as it relates to fiscal and monetary matters.
Governments the world over, often carry out business through State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). Most times, these enterprises are set up to administer their minerals sector, energy or special trade zones, among other things. However, there is usually little known about the financial management, fiscal supervision and profit making of the enterprises. What is more, they are run in very opaque ways and their officers lack the accountability that would make their management open and effective.
In this episode, we discuss how transparency and accountability are crucial to the management of State-owned Enterprises.
This episode highlights outstanding natural resources issues in Nigeria, options for emergency and long-route interventions. It also discusses issues to be prioritized and intervention strategies non-state actors can adopt to catalyse appropriate policy response from state-actors in a post COVID-19 world.
This episode captures the intricacies of the proposed 2022 budget, exploring subjects like debt and deficit, revenue projection, concerns and what the Federal government plans to spend on critical sectors of the economy in the fiscal year 2022.
Want to know what the proposed budget looks like? Take a listen.
Hey guys! This special edition of our podcast explores BudgIT’s journey in the last decade and how it is leading the way for young people to engage with the government using emerging technologies and social engagement tools.
A conversation with the Co- founders of BudgIT, Oluseun Onigbinde and Joseph Agunbiade.
Have a listen!
Nigeria’s education sector has been riddled with diverse challenges over the years. From inadequate support and poor funding to the absence of political will at the subnational level. To address this, there is an urgent need for sustainable policy formulation, prioritization of the sector and strategic balance of the capital and recurrent expenditure.
Join us as we explore issues affecting education funding in Nigeria and possible options for improvement.
In 2020, Nigeria’s economy was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Amongst others, oil prices experienced a sharp fall and lowered the revenue abilities of oil producing states in Nigeria. In this episode, we examine the impact of falling oil prices due to Covid-19 on oil producing states revenue ability, their performance and reliance on FAAC, and 13 percent derivatives.
8 months ago, BudgIT and CODE kickstarted the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) in 7 African Countries. This episode of our podcast series reviews the progress we have made in tracking COVID-19 fund management in these countries; including corruption issues, palliative & vaccine distribution process, citizen participation and government responsiveness. Enjoy!
This episode captures an overview of the Zonal Intervention Projects ZIP in Nigeria, its current realities, allocations and citizen’s participation. It also reveals some anomalies with empowerment projects and representative’s agenda while also detailing Tracka’s effort to ensure that public funds are used for the people.
Is the ZIP a blessing or a curse? Find out more.
Two years ago, the Federal Government launched the open treasury portal to improve transparency and accountability in public finance.
This episode explores the key changes this portal has brought into the civic space, the level of compliance by MDAs, underlying issues that need to be resolved, and BudgIT's recommendations.
This episode spotlights the security sector - focusing on its budgetary allocation, security votes and possible approaches the federal government can adopt regarding disbursements, spending and audits in the sector.
The episode further recommends strategies and steps that can drive change and reforms within the sector.
This episode highlights some of the key trends in Nigeria’s budget, focusing on issues such as the rise in debt servicing and the reality of the government borrowing funds to finance the country’s budget. The episode also discusses reform options available to the government to expand revenue and have a corruption-proof budget document.
The 2nd episode of the conversation about the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). This episode focuses on the Minister of Petroleum, the NNPC, the different agencies involved, host communities etc.
A conversation about the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) focusing on the challenges around the passage of the bill and its effect on the petroleum ecosystem when passed into law.