By Ehis Agbon.
From roads and bridges to schools and water projects, public infrastructure is the bedrock of development in any society. Yet, for too long, the processes surrounding these projects in Nigeria—particularly at the sub-national level—have been shrouded in opacity. Who gets the contract? At what cost? How far along is the project? These are basic questions that citizens have a right to ask—and get answers to.
It is for this reason that the recent 2-day training workshop held at FABS Hotel, Zaria from May 31 to June 1, 2025, under the CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative, deserves special attention. The workshop was focused on disclosure guidelines and protocols for the Kaduna OC4IDS Data Disclosure/Publication Portal. It may sound technical, but its implication is very human: it is about putting vital infrastructure data in the public domain where it belongs.
At the heart of this initiative is the Kaduna State Water Corporation (KADSWAC), which is now seeking permission to upload data covering its infrastructure projects from 2015 to date onto the OC4IDS platform. This move should not only be welcomed—it should be supported and expanded.
Why Does This Matter?
In a democracy, transparency is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Uploading infrastructure data such as project details, progress reports, and budgets empowers citizens, journalists, civil society groups, and even fellow government agencies to track development in real time. It allows for the identification of red flags—such as inflated contracts, abandoned projects, or misallocated funds—before they become entrenched.
But beyond watchdogging, transparency also builds trust. When citizens can see clearly what their government is doing with public resources, confidence in institutions grows. For a state like Kaduna, which has often been a frontrunner in sub-national governance reform, this is a chance to lead again—this time in infrastructure transparency.
What the Training Achieved
Participants at the workshop learned how to navigate the Kaduna OC4IDS portal, understood what kind of data should be disclosed, and how best to categorize and upload this information. Most importantly, the training helped cement the idea that openness is not an administrative burden—it is a governance imperative.
The benefits are clear:
- Transparency: A digital window into how infrastructure money is being spent.
- Accountability: Evidence that public agencies are ready to be held to high standards.
- Collaboration: A platform for dialogue between government, private sector, and civil society.
A Call to Action
The request to upload KADSWAC data should be approved without delay. And it should not stop there. Other MDAs must follow suit. Kaduna has the infrastructure. Now it must build the culture that sustains it—one of openness, accountability, and shared responsibility.
We cannot afford to do business as usual. The public deserves to know. And the Kaduna OC4IDS Data Disclosure Portal is one powerful way to make that happen.
For more information about the initiative and how to access the data, visit:
https://infrastructuretransparency.org
