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A presentation from the University or Ilorin research team in the Exploring the Emerging Impacts of Open Data in Development Countries research network
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Investigation of the use of the OnlineNational Budget of Nigeria: Emerging Findings
Research team: (University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria) Dr. Omenogo Veronica MEJABI;
Dr. Adesina L. AZEEZ;Mr. Adeyinka ADEDOYIN; and
Mr. Muhtahir O. OLOYEDE
The funding for this work has been provided through the World Wide Web Foundation 'Exploring the Emerging Impacts of Open Data in Developing Countries' research project, supported by grant 107075 from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (web.idrc.ca). Find out more at www.opendataresearch.org/emergingimpacts
Presented at ODDC Africa Regional meeting – 07/12/2013
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Abstract• Corruption and bad governance are major issues of concern
to Nigerian citizens.• Although Nigeria is yet to commence a formal move
towards open data, or to launch an open data portal, budget data is increasingly available online, direct from government or through intermediaries.
• It is not yet clear how aware the public are of this budget data, or how it affects budget governance.
• This study employs a range of approaches, including analysing news media and interviews with key stakeholders, to determine: how the public engage in the discussions of the national
budget, their awareness of open data, its potential to drive good governance, and the challenges to effective use of such open budget data.
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National Context
Citizens frustrated and distrustful of government promises
At start of study, no existing government move towards open government data or open data initiative but Edo state open government data portal launched on 13th September, 2013 (data.edostate.gov.ng)
But, many organisations do publish data relevant for governance on their websites: available to the public with no restrictions.
Public awareness & use of available data is unclear
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The Data Sets involved• Budget of Nigeria available on the Budget Office website
since 2007 (http://www.budgetoffice.gov.ng)
• …but not organised or structured.
• Link descriptions vary from year to year (2007, 2008 and 2009) and it is not clear if the data is the final approved budget, or the budget as initially proposed to the National Assembly for consideration.
• e.g. the 2011 budget has to be pieced together from the 2011 quarterly reports on budget implementation
• Data files are published as PDF files
• Vast improvement from the past when such data were only available as hard copies.
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Budget website
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Budget website
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Typical Budget Data(pdf, missing last column)
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Typical Budget Data(hanging last column)
Research goalsThe study attempts to determine:– how the public engage in the discussions of the
national budget– the degree of awareness of open data– potential of open data to drive good governance– the intermediaries in the flow of budget
information– potential challenges to effective use of such open
budget data.
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MethodologyA range of approaches, including:• Institutional survey
– incl. respondents from the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance
• Stakeholder survey– survey & in-depth interview: journalists, Key persons in NGOs,
online networkers, professionals, visible budget analysts• Media analysis
– review & analyse newspaper coverage on the budget of Nigeria (from 2009 – 2013)
– online social networks (around the 2013 budget)
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Preliminary Interviews & FindingsSome challenges to the achievement of open data initiative in Nigeria in terms of access and use of such data. It is one thing to have the data open to the public, it is another thing for the public to make use of it to drive accountability, transparency and good governance. Such challenges include: • Culture of secrecy in public life in Nigeria that inhibits government officials’ readiness and
willingness to make information available to the public.• Challenge of poverty that discourages people from accessing and using open data. A large
number of Nigerians are concerned with how they can feed themselves instead of engaging government performances.
• Lack of skills on the part of a large number of Nigerians, particularly in the rural areas, is also a big challenge to the use of open data. Many Nigerians do not have the requisite skills to access open data not even to talk of adapting it for use or for engaging the government.
• Technology, in terms of appropriate applications to make data open in simple format that will be accessible and usable to the public, is also a challenge. This is evidenced more on the part of the government agencies that do not have the necessary technologies or appropriate applications to make data open in most accessible and usable format.
• Lack of necessary infrastructures, such as energy/power, is also a challenge to the access and use of open data.
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Preliminary Findings – Newspaper Analysis
• Analysed
newspapers have
average page
number s of:o This Day (60)
o The Guardian (72)
o Daily Trust (60)
o Tribune (56)
o The Punch (72)
o The Nation (64)
• The Punch and The
Nation are still
being collated. This Day The Guardian Daily Trust Tribune
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
51%
45%
39%36%
Proportion of Analysed Newspapers with story items related to Nigeria's budget is 50% or
less
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Preliminary Findings – Social Media
• Twitter: Criticism of sectoral
allocations in the budgeto Our great country spent only 3.2% of its
national budget on health at the federal
level in 2010. Of this, 83% was spent on
paying salaries! - EiE
Nigeria(@EiENigeria)
o A country that spends 5% of its budget on
education and 30% on security is doomed.
But common sense isn't so common.
#publicaffairs - VEEG Communications
(@VEEGGroup)
o Shocking: 23 per cent of National Budget
Spent on Salaries/Allowances of 18,000
Top Government Officials... http://
fb.me/1chL7vb8g - Information
Nigeria(@infonaija)
• Facebook: Distrust of govt,
to implement the budgetPrompter – Announcement of 2013 budget
presentation by Dr Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of
Finance attracted 210 Likes
Comments:
- Budget is well planned,it requires sincere
implementaction & God's approval. -
Nwabam Ugochukwu Goodluck
- ds may be bugdet of hope,if implimented.-
Adeniyi Olusegun Godwin
- Well presented.This is paper
work.Nigerians are expecting the action
part of it.-Paul Owojori Olugbenga
Search phrase: Nigeria 2013 budget
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Preliminary Conclusions
• There is an emerging call for full disclosure on the various data
sources during the process of National budgeting.
• Social media content shows evidence of citizen engagement with the
budget data of Nigeria but reveals the discussion is limited to a few
individuals and NGOs.
• Groups such as Budgit and Citizens Wealth Forum now provide
simplified versions of the published budget to help citizens
understand the contents and hold Government officials and
politicians accountable for non-implementation.
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Looking Ahead
• Conclude data collection
• Conclude data analysys
• Commence drafting research report
• Organise Data Hack Event (9th/10th
January 2014 ) in conjunction with
Budgit, an identified data repackager
• Organise Dissemination Workshop
(March 2014)
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Appreciation
We appreciate the mentoring from our Peer Supporter:
Dr. Maurice McNaughtonUniversity of the West Indies,
Kingston, Jamaica
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Contact Information
Follow our research blog at:
http://www.opendataresearch.org/project/2013/unilorin
