The Federal Government yesterday launched the Presidential Delivery Tracks (PDT) and Central Delivery Coordinating Unit (CDCU) websites to track government projects across the country.
The move was meant to improve public projects’ monitoring.
Speaking during the launching at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha said the CDCU was introduced in 2019 towards the achievement of the nine priority goals of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The PDT/CDCU App is a co-creation platform that aims to connect citizens to governance in Nigeria by increasing citizens’ access to the Federal Government’s presidential priority policies, programmes, and projects.
“The goal of the PDT/CDCU is to promote transparency and expand access to reporting on presidential priority policies, programmes and projects.
“This is by incorporating citizens as the third layer of reporting to offer vital information that will facilitate effective service delivery. Over the last two years, the PDT/CDCU had successfully driven Federal Government’s delivery initiative to incorporate a systematic feedback mechanism from the citizens into the design and operationalisation of its Performance Management System.
“This is in recognition of the critical roles of the citizens in promoting inclusive and citizen-centered governance,” Mustapha said.
The SGF also listed the priority areas as: stabilise the macro-economy, achieve agriculture and food security, ensure energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products, improve transportation and other infrastructure, drive industrialisation focusing on SMEs, improve health, education and productivity of Nigerians, enhance social inclusion and reduce poverty, fight corruption and improve governance, and provide security for all citizens.
Mustapha also said the objective of developing the ‘Citizens App’ and the website was to make it possible for citizens to, among others, report accurately and provide feedback on the implementation of government’s programmes and projects within their localities.
“The CDCU intends to empower citizens to make their voices heard, build a citizens engagement programme that works and participation that increases benefits, if discussed with the people,” he said.
Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister Zainab Ahmed said the website was a citizens-based mobile tracking app which allows them to send on-the-spot feedback on project implementation aimed at promoting public accountability.
According to her, the device will also improve service delivery by all government institutions, especially that public accountability in service delivery plays an important role in government institutions and the nation’s economy.
She said: “Indeed, it could be successfully argued that the economic well-being of any country is dependent, to a very large extent, on the strength, integrity, and complexity of its institutions and on its accountability to governmental services.
“Thus, promoting public accountability and improving service delivery in government institutions are initiated to ensure that such objectives are achieved.”
Also, the Director (Development) Foreign Commonwealth and Development, Dr. Chris Pycroft, said officials and contractors should face sanctions or costs, if programmes are not implemented.
He hailed the Federal Government for the successful execution of the project in Nigeria.
“The Presidential Delivery Tracker represents an important step in the transparency and accountability of government business. The United Kingdom (UK) has been a strong ally of the government’s effort to open the governance space.
“This initiative is commendable and should be encouraged across the three tiers of government. It is important that citizens not only provide feedback on the implementation of government projects, but that citizens demand actions if projects are not delivered,” he said.
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