By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – Connected Development (CODE), a leading accountability and advocacy organisation, has tracked over ₦4 billion in public projects across Nigeria and Africa in 2024, marking a major step forward in promoting transparency and good governance.

This announcement was made at the launch of CODE’s 2024 Annual Report, themed The Year of the Active Citizen, held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The event brought together key stakeholders from civil society, development partners, and the media, spotlighting efforts to advance accountability, transparency, civic participation, and access to education.

Presenting the report, Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of CODE and Founder of Follow The Money International, shared the organisation’s achievements over the past year. He stressed the importance of citizens getting involved in holding leaders to account and pushing for real change.

“From tracking over ₦4 billion in public funds to advocating for policy reform, we’ve shown that active citizens can make a real difference. Our flagship Follow The Money initiative, now operating in 12 African countries, continues to ensure that public funds are spent for the right purposes,” Lawal said.

A highlight of the year was the expansion of the Follow The Money initiative to Sierra Leone, bringing the total number of African countries involved to 12. CODE also conducted extensive community outreach and launched a 12-month advocacy plan to secure long-term impact.

Within Nigeria, advocacy campaigns delivered real outcomes, including the successful passage of the Child Protection Bill in Kano State. This effort, under the Galvanising Mass Action Against Gender-Based Violence initiative, aims to protect young girls in rural communities facing serious threats.

CODE’s climate finance report for Nigeria uncovered major funding gaps and warned against overreliance on debt financing.

“We can’t achieve our climate goals through borrowing alone. Our report offers practical solutions to close these gaps and build a sustainable future,” Lawal added.

Citizen engagement remained at the heart of CODE’s work. Over 1,200 Nigerians, mostly young people, were trained to demand accountability from leaders. Research into Nigeria’s shrinking civic space exposed worrying trends and called for urgent protection of citizens’ rights to speak out and participate in governance.

Education was another major focus in 2024. With support from the Malala Fund, CODE launched the Girl-Child Education Project in Bauchi State, identifying barriers to girls’ education and securing promises from local leaders to boost school budgets and hire more teachers.

“Education is the foundation of any thriving society. Through our mentorship programmes, we are equipping girls with life skills and digital knowledge, preparing them to lead their communities,” said Lawal.

Working with USAID, CODE also supported early literacy through the LEARN2 READ programme across Adamawa, Bauchi, and Sokoto states. This initiative tackled gender-based violence and harmful cultural norms that prevent children from learning.

In partnership with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), CODE helped improve access to education for girls in 18 states by promoting conditional cash transfers and addressing harmful social beliefs.

A national survey covering 553 schools and 784 primary healthcare centres across 34 states and 332 local government areas revealed persistent issues: overcrowded classrooms, gender inequality in enrolment, and lack of teacher training.

“Despite the billions invested, Nigeria’s education system still struggles with deep-rooted problems. We call on all stakeholders to ensure proper budget implementation, train teachers, and upgrade infrastructure to make learning safe and inclusive for every child,” Lawal urged.

The report called on governments, civil society groups, and development partners to work together to solve these challenges and achieve measurable progress.

“Every statistic in this report tells a story of hope and progress. Together, we are working toward a more just, inclusive, and empowered Africa,” Lawal added.