South West states synergise to achieve Fiscal Sustainability Plan

 The six states in the South West on Friday came together, synergised and mapped out strategies that would enable them achieve the Fiscal Sustainability Plan through best practices in budget issues.

The meeting which took place in Ibadan, Oyo state was organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission in collaboration with the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, a Programme of the Department for International Development (DFID).

The acting Director General of DAWN Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye said the objectives of the meeting was to encourage the states to showcase good practices on budget matters for the purpose of replication across the region and beyond.

During the meeting, the representatives of the six states including Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and Ekiti shared ideas and experiences which they promised to replicate in their respective state.

They also identified common challenges and obstacles that the states are facing and fashioned out practicable solutions to overcome the different problems. 

Oyeleye charged the government of the six South West state to fully key into the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in order to achieve the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP).

He Oyeleye said DAWN Commission championed the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) with South West Open Data Initiative (SWODI) Conversations early in the year.

He noted that some states have started implementing some aspect of SWODI but none of the states in the South West has officially signed onto OGP even when five states in Nigeria have signed on.

Oyeleye said Kaduna state has gone a bit further by launching OGP action plan and urged the South West state to move fast in adopting the innovation and creativity in governance.