BY NONYE JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government in collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Kaduna Branch, has pledged to strengthen transparency, accountability and quality assurance in the delivery of public infrastructure projects through the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST).
Speaking at a one-day engagement on the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Mukhtar Ahmed Monrovia, acknowledged that public projects belong to the people, and professional scrutiny can only make them better.
He said that the state’s SUSTAIN Agenda was anchored on delivering durable and impactful projects, stressing that their value could only be maximised through openness and integrity.
“The CoST framework ensures every naira spent on public infrastructure delivers maximum value to our communities. By engaging with the NSE, we aim to harness your expertise and professional excellence to advance this transformative agenda”.
Monrovia stressed that collaboration between the private sector and CSOs is key to holding duty bearers accountable, adding that the state’s partnership with CSOs under the Open Government Partnership (OGP) had provided a strong foundation for transparency.
On his part, the NSE Kaduna Chairman, Engr. Arege Samson, described CoST principles as aligning with engineering ethics, which include transparency, integrity and value for money.
He noted that the branch’s Infrastructure Scorecard Committee, established to evaluate government projects, had faced challenges accessing reliable data and project locations.
“I’m hopeful that after today’s workshop, those barriers will no longer hold us back. With these tools, we can now get the information we need to give government infrastructure a proper score”.
Earlier in his remarks, the CoST Manager, CoST Kaduna Secretariat, Jeremiah Tara noted that, the CoST initiative aimed at boosting transparency, participation, and accountability in public infrastructure delivery, ensuring citizens get value for money and improved service delivery.
According to him, Since 2023, Kaduna State remains the only State in Nigeria that joined CoST, a United Kingdom based Charity Organization.
The workshop drew participants from the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority, civil society organisations (CSOs), the media, Contractors Association, youth groups and technical experts.
Also in attendance was CoST Technical Adviser from the United Kingdom, Hamish Goldie-Scot, who joined virtually.
