By Nnasom David

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparency and improving service delivery through citizen participation, while acknowledging low public awareness of its Citizens’ Delivery Tracker (CDT) app, which monitors government projects and performance.

Speaking at the two-day Citizens’ Dialogue Forum on Government Accountability and Service Delivery in Abuja on Monday, Hadiza Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), said the administration is working to ensure governance outcomes are directly felt by Nigerians.

The forum, organised by CRDCU in collaboration with Accountability Lab Nigeria, Open Government Partnership Nigeria, Dataphyte Foundation, and the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office under its Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement, aimed to strengthen citizen participation in governance.

Launched in April 2024 under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the CDT app allows Nigerians to track government projects, report concerns, and monitor progress from their mobile devices. Usman said the platform shifts governance from a top-down reporting system to a citizen-driven model. Efforts are underway to make the app accessible to iOS users to broaden participation.

Despite its potential, Usman admitted that public awareness of the platform remains low. “We want the CDT to become a mass-market instrument for accountability,” she said, stressing that feedback collected through the app is transmitted directly to the Presidency and used to evaluate ministers and permanent secretaries.

To improve usage and response rates, the government is partnering with Accountability Lab Nigeria to conduct an independent assessment of the platform. Usman outlined plans to optimise the app for commonly used devices, simplify its interface, and strengthen security measures including multi-factor authentication and clear data privacy policies.

She also urged civil society organisations to adopt the CDT as an advocacy tool and called on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to respond promptly to citizens’ complaints. “Accountability is not complete until the loop is closed and the citizen is heard,” she said.

Ehi Idakwo, Programmes and Learning Manager at Accountability Lab Nigeria, stressed that independent evaluation is crucial to strengthening public trust and improving the platform’s effectiveness. She highlighted the importance of understanding how citizens interact with the app and the challenges they face, while advocating for increased public awareness and grassroots sensitisation, particularly in underserved communities.

Idakwo noted that sustained collaboration between government institutions and civil society is essential to ensure citizens’ voices are heard and translated into tangible improvements in governance.