Founded in 2011, BudgIT is a civic organization that applies technology to intersect citizen engagement with institutional improvement, to facilitate societal change. A pioneer in the field of social advocacy melded with technology, BudgIT uses an array of tech tools to simplify the budget and matters of public spending for citizens, with the primary aim of raising standard of transparency and accountability in government.
institutions and the media, chiefly in the areas of fiscal analyses, civic technology and data representation. BudgIT’s methodology is deploying refined data mining skillsets to creatively represent data and empower citizens to use the resulting information in demanding improved service delivery.
Beyond budget access, BudgIT functions on the premise that budgets must work for the people. Most emblematic is our project-tracking tool (Tracka), created in 2014. Tracka is now functional in 17 States, and allows Nigerians post pictures of developmental projects in their communities, with BudgIT’s project officers aiding citizens offline to communicate with their elected representatives, and demand completion of the government projects in their neighbourhoods.
So far, BudgIT had been able to reach over 750,000 Nigerians via digital and physical spaces, leading online and offline conversations on government finance and public sector efficiency. With over 2,000 unique data requests monthly from private, corporate and development entities/individuals, BudgIT is now widely regarded as a trusted hub for public finance data in Nigeria.
Offline, and on the ground, BudgIT collaborates across the public-private sectors to deliver programs that shore up the capacity of its peers and willing government institutions. Relying on donor funding, we have worked with 23 civil society organizations to revamp their digital outlook, policy analyses and report presentation formats, and are currently experimenting with Nigeria’s first Data Journalism platform.
Our past, and recent engagements in the public sector include partnerships with the National Assembly, the National Assembly Budget and Research Office, the Budget Office of the Federation and the Kaduna State Government. On request, BudgIT has also provided support to the Nigerian Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Ministry of Budget and Planning and the Lagos State Ministry of Budget and Planning.
Simultaneously, BudgIT continues to influence the national agenda on public spending, with its policy papers covering government finance, sub-national viability, Open Government schemes, as well as the analyses of anti-corruption and transparency initiatives. As a member of the Civicus Alliance and Open Alliance, BudgIT is also leading the charge to ensure Nigeria’s membership of the global Open Government Partnership.
BudgIT, which was began as an idea incubated by the co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria now has additional offices in Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
