The Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, citizen participation and effective service delivery in the implementation of Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects across Nigeria.
The commitment was made at the Ministry’s second-quarter Stakeholders’ Interactive and Citizens’ Engagement Forum, themed “Strengthening the Effective Implementation of Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects in Line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
According to a statement by the Ministry’s Chief Information Officer, Mandal Francis, the forum brought together representatives of government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, community leaders, the media and project beneficiaries to discuss ways of improving the implementation and sustainability of Constituency and Zonal Intervention Projects nationwide.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr Zephaniah Bitrus Jisalo, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Onwusoro Ihemelandu, said the engagement reflected the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, citizen participation and effective service delivery.
He said the Ministry remained focused on ensuring that the projects aligned with and contributed meaningfully to the actualisation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dr Ihemelandu disclosed that project verification and monitoring had improved significantly, with verification performance rising from 28.88 percent in 2023 to 43.13 percent in 2024, reflecting stronger oversight and monitoring mechanisms.
He added that the 2025 verification exercise was already underway, with indications of even better performance.
He urged development partners and civil society organisations to continue providing technical support and constructive feedback, while calling on community leaders and project beneficiaries to take ownership of completed projects to ensure their sustainability.
The Minister also appealed to the media to promote transparency through objective reporting and by highlighting successful government interventions.
Citzens Participation
Earlier, in his welcome address, another Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Onwusoro Maduka, stressed the importance of sustained dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders following the presentation of the status report on Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects and the launch of the maiden compendium titled, “Actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda Through the Implementation of Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects.”
Dr Maduka said the compendium was designed to sustain stakeholder engagement and deepen citizens’ participation in the implementation process.
He noted that the success of stakeholder engagement depended not only on government efforts but also on the active collaboration of implementing Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, community leaders and citizens.
According to him, collective commitment and sustained engagement are essential to ensuring that Constituency and Zonal Intervention Projects deliver lasting developmental impact across communities.
Participants exchanged ideas during interactive sessions on strategies for improving project implementation, monitoring, accountability and sustainability, while also making recommendations aimed at strengthening project delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining stakeholder engagement and enhancing collaboration among all relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of Constituency and Zonal Intervention Projects for the benefit of Nigerians.
