, has inaugurated a 7,500 dollars Small Grant Initiative for 36 grassroots groups monitoring procurement processes in their states.){kind=link}
By Philomina Attah
Mrs Lucy Abagi, the Chief Executive Officer, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), has inaugurated a 7,500 dollars Small Grant Initiative for 36 grassroots groups monitoring procurement processes in their states.
Abagi disclosed this in Abuja on Monday during a press briefing, saying that each group would be given approximately 200 dollars.
She said that applications would open on July 31 through the upgraded Budeshi portal, developed in partnership with Devon Technologies.
According to her, the fund aims to empower local voices to lead transparency efforts.
She said that it marked the beginning of a Pan-African campaign to build a continent-wide network of procurement accountability champions.
“Organisations participating in the grant programme will also compete for the “Best Procurement Monitor Award”, recognising effectiveness and impact during the mini-grant’s implementation,” she said.
Abagi further said that over the past three years, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, PPDC had achieved 80 per cent increase in government response rates to Freedom of Information requests.
She said that it signalled that transparency was becoming standard practice.
“We recorded over14,000 publications of procurement processes on the Budeshi platform.
“We also tracked 54 community projects, including the repair of schools and clinics, restoring trust in underserved areas.
“PPDC also strengthened communication between citizens and government, resulting in improved access to essential services like healthcare and education,” she said.
Abagi also highlighted the PPDC’s mission to ensure that public resources worked for the people.
She said that through technology, policy advocacy, and community engagement, PPDC made public contracting more open, inclusive and accountable.
“Central to these efforts is Budeshi, Nigeria’s pioneering Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) platform, which empowers citizens to track government spending from project planning to execution.
“Budeshi’s impact has now extended beyond Nigeria, inspiring reforms in Uganda and supporting the development of a national OCDS portal there, ” she said.
Abagi, who was also honoured as “Procurement Transparency Advocate of the Year” at the 7th African Procurement and Supply Chain Summit in Lagos commended the organiser for the award.
She said that that the award represented a movement transforming public service delivery in Nigeria and beyond.
In his remarks, PPDC Board Chairman, Chibuzor Ekwekwuo, praised the organisation’s longstanding role in advancing procurement reforms, especially its pivotal role in the passage of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act.
Ekwekwuo noted the centre’s contributions in establishing Africa’s first procurement observatory, securing a World Bank award, and supporting similar efforts in Uganda and Malawi.
“From federal policy to grassroots monitoring, PPDC has driven transparency across multiple levels,”he said
He said that in spite its achievements PPDC remained committed to “aspirational goals”.
He also emphasised the importance of partnering with the media to ensure accountability.
The representative of Devon Technologies, Ireoduwa Omojola, demonstrating the upgrade Budeshi portal, said that it simplified project registration and monitoring for civil society groups, government agencies, and the public.
“The new Budeshi interface is mobile-friendly and allows users to apply, upload documents, and track their applications.
“It also enables citizens and CSOs to comment, upload photos, and provide feedback on projects in real-time,’’ Omojola said.
The Finance Manager, Segun Olaniyi, speaking on organisations and individuals’ eligible to the fund, said such organization must be a registered NGO with visible present at the local where the project would be implemented.
Olaniyi added that the oganisation must have a governing board, basic financial control system, and active bank account, without any litigation on financial matter against it.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event marks a significant milestone in Africa’s journey toward accountable, people-centered governance, with PPDC and partners leading the way. (NAN)