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By Ebere Agozie
The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has begun the 2025 Governance Assessment Report (GAR) Tour in Kaduna State.
This is contained in a statement issued by the NGIJ President, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan, in Abuja on Monday.
The guild said the tour was a core component of its flagship GAR project, designed to independently evaluate government policies, infrastructural projects, social programmes and overall performance indicators.
The president said that 12 members of the guild, comprising investigative journalists and researchers from across Nigeria, would be in Kaduna for a one-week comprehensive exercise.
He said the assessment aligned with NGIJ’s mandate of deepening democratic culture, promoting transparency, and strengthening accountability.
“We will engage in a five-day intensive assessment covering all the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
“The exercise will involve field investigations across key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, security, agriculture, human capital development, women and youth empowerment, and job creation.
“We will administer structured questionnaires and conduct interviews with stakeholders to gather first-hand information on governance performance.”
He noted that the guild would also engage with critical stakeholders, including security agencies, political office holders, traditional rulers, labour leaders, and civil society groups.
“The guild will also engage representatives of political parties, and grassroots citizens, to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive assessment of Gov. Uba Sani’s administration.”
He added that the team would document flagship projects and publish daily field reports across national media platforms.
“At the conclusion of the tour, the guild will hold a press conference and present a comprehensive Governance Assessment Handbook, summarizing its findings, impacts, and policy recommendations.”
Aliagan noted that the Kaduna tour builds on the guild’s previous successful assessments conducted in Kogi, Kwara, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Osun states.
He sid in these states, NGIJ worked closely with state governments and stakeholders to ensure objectivity and credibility.
He, therefore, urged stakeholders to cooperate fully with guild members during the assessment to ensure a smooth and transparent process.
“We are not here to witch-hunt or politicize governance,” Aliagan stated.
“Our goal is to provide an independent, fact-based, and grassroots-oriented evaluation that amplifies the voices of the Kaduna residents while highlighting government achievements and challenges.
“The five-day exercise is expected to produce an in-depth Governance Assessment Handbook, which will serve as a reference document for policymakers, development partners, and the general public,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
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