By Chinedu Adonu

A non-governmental organization, the South Sahara Social Development Organization (SSDO), has conducted a one-day training session aimed at strengthening accountability mechanisms at the local government level in Enugu State.

The training, held at Sylvia Hotel in Enugu, targeted heads of finance and administration from all 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and media practitioners. Participants were trained to effectively apply the Local Government Accountability Index (LAI) methodology to improve transparency and governance.

Sponsored by the UK government in partnership with the Nigeria Society for Situation Room, the event formed part of the broader implementation of the Enugu State Local Government Accountability Policy (LGAP).

Speaking at the event, SSDO Executive Director Dr. Stanley Ilechukwu said the training aimed to equip stakeholders and technical working groups with the skills to assess and enhance accountability within LGAs. He stressed that the initiative is part of an ongoing effort to promote transparency, especially as discussions on granting greater autonomy to LGAs continue.

“The heads of LGA departments, particularly in finance and administration, were trained to assess their performance in transparency and accountability and to develop modalities to ensure inclusive budgeting,” Dr. Ilechukwu explained. “We also engaged CSOs and media practitioners to help citizens hold LGAs accountable using the scorecards developed during the training.”

The training focused on developing policies and scorecards that would allow LGAs to evaluate their performance and be answerable to their constituents once full autonomy is granted. Participants learned how to use these tools to foster a culture of accountability that would endure beyond the training.

Mrs. Virginia Obianyo, a participant, praised the initiative, saying the policy could significantly transform and restructure LGAs. She emphasized that local government autonomy would revolutionize grassroots development, local governance, and community engagement.

“This training is crucial for holding LGAs accountable, as currently, there is a lack of transparency and inclusion in budgeting processes. When communities are not involved, accountability suffers,” Mrs. Obianyo said. “If fully adopted, this policy will transform the system and structure of local governments, and CSOs will play a key role in championing citizen engagement.”

She added that LGAs often exclude citizens from budgeting processes, noting, “They tend to copy and paste figures without genuine participation or transparency. This policy is vital to ensuring that residents enjoy the dividends of democracy and that budgeting processes are strengthened.”