Source: France 24

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A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on both the Federal and state governments to prioritise accountability in the implementation of policies affecting citizens.

This call was made during the inaugural Nigeria Accountability Summit held in Abuja, with the theme ‘Institutionalising Accountability for Effective Public Administration in Nigeria.’

Organised by prominent entities such as the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), BudgIT Foundation, Connected Development (CODE), Dataphyte, Agora Policy, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Step Up Nigeria, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), and Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, the summit aimed to address concerns surrounding policy implementation.

At the event, Olusegun Elemo, the Executive Director at PLSI, emphasized the necessity of holding public administrators accountable for the successful execution of policies.

Elemo highlighted that following the election of the 7th consecutive civilian government in February 2023, both national and subnational governments have initiated policy implementations across various sectors, causing hardships for citizens.

“Therefore, it is important to make sure that policy actors are held accountable to ensure objectives of their policies are achieved to improve citizens’ welfare,” Elemo stressed

In its official communique, the summit called upon the government to empower oversight mechanisms by strengthening regulators and oversight bodies.

Additionally, it urged the enhancement of the legal framework through action plans to improve the justice system’s capacity, including court efficiency, legal procedures, and timely dispute resolution.

The CSOs further advocated for the government to embrace tech-enabled civic engagement and digitize government processes, emphasizing that this would enhance accessibility and transparency.

They also pressed for the creation of sound policies addressing specific challenges, focusing on transparent tax classifications and the removal of small, burdensome taxes. The summit suggested establishing a clear threshold for taxpayers to enhance fiscal transparency.

As citizens grapple with the impact of implemented policies, the call for accountability resonates as a crucial factor in ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of the Nigerian populace.

Source : Business Day

The post CSOs Task FG, States on Accountability in Policy Implementation appeared first on Policy Print.

ABUJA — The Federal Government has taken steps to expedite local vaccine manufacturing and halt its importation.

To achieve this,  government has reviewed and validated the draft national plan for vaccine research and development in the country.

The plan, which was developed in 2021, is the first of its kind in Africa and highlights roles of relevant stakeholders in the vaccine landscape.

This was the fallout of a meeting organised by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, in Abuja, weekend.

Speaking at the review and validation meeting, the  Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed that the efforts of the Federal Government over the years to commence local vaccines production was already yielding the expected results.

Represented by Dr. David Atuwo, the minister noted that the review and validation meeting was timely because it provided critical stakeholders and policymakers the opportunity to address critical healthcare issues, as well as enhance entry of the pharmaceutical sector into the larger African market.

The review and validation of the draft roadmap, the minister stressed, would fast-track the achievement of the  vaccine policy objectives of the federal government.

“With this initiative, I am confident that the government prioritization as regards local vaccine production will begin to yield the desired result within the shortest possible time, and the reliance on importation of this important public health tool will be drastically reduced.

“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social  Welfare will continue to provide the necessary oversight and work with NIPRD, partners and stakeholders at the various levels to ensure that the desired results of sustainable vaccine R&D and local production in Nigeria are achieved,” he said.

‘Progress made’

Speaking on the government’s level of preparation to kick-start local vaccine manufacturing, the minister said: “Despite the various challenges militating against local production of vaccines, I want to state that appreciable progress has been achieved in these past few years.:

“Nigeria has recently attained Maturity Level Three (ML3) for regulatory oversight and this includes the area of vaccines.

“With this and other ongoing reforms in the health sector, vaccines produced as a result of this process will not only satisfy national needs, but will also be available for international procurement.

“Whilst the government is taking steps to provide the needed infrastructure requisite for the implementation of local vaccines’ production, it is commendable that NIPRD, in line with its mandate, continues to set the pace for responsive innovation in this area.

“This high-level meeting is intended to bring together relevant stakeholders in order to synthesize ideas and solutions for a robust and contextual base plan to achieve sustainable local manufacturing of vaccines in Nigeria.

“This approach will provide a strong foundation that is underpinned by empirical evidence. The adoption of this bottom-up strategy in developing this plan ensures that innovative ideas embedded in this framework are designed to stimulate local vaccines R&D and vaccines production in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, the Director General of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, explained that the meeting was the first step to unlocking the health value chain plan which would not only save lives but also address critical socio-economic indices, such as job creation, capacity building, revenue generation and technology transfer.

Dr Adigwe, however, stressed that Africa no more cherished what he described as tokenistic interventions such as fill-finish products.

“Africa no longer has an interest in tokenistic interventions such as fill-finish products, but has become interested in building dependable, equitable, and veracious partnerships that will enable the Continent to undertake full R&D for the production of vaccines,” he stressed.

Source : Vanguard

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It is decision time for Rishi Sunak. Perhaps as early as this week, the Government could put forward its plans for finally getting the Rwanda scheme off the ground and deporting illegal migrants to the east African country.

The Rwanda plan is not perfect: in particular, it would only entail a limited number of deportations. But there is no way in which the numbers crossing the Channel can be seriously reduced without a credible deterrent, and the Prime Minister has made stopping the boats one of his core pledges to the public. He cannot afford to betray the voters on this now.

The Government is understood to be considering a range of proposals for counteracting the criticisms made of the policy by the Supreme Court, which ruled it unlawful last month. A Bill is expected to be introduced that will declare Rwanda safe for asylum seekers and enshrine in law a new treaty with the country.

But on whether to go further, ministers are split. Some favour merely disapplying the UK Human Rights Act in asylum claims. Others fear that this would not go far enough. Conservative backbenchers such as Sir Bill Cash who writes in this paper today, argue that a full-fat alternative, including “notwithstanding” clauses, would remove the right of judicial review.

This could permit the Government to ignore the European Convention on Human Rights without leaving it. Alegally sound Bill may also have to account for a much wider range of treaties which underpin the principle of non-refoulement, perhaps including the 1984 UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the 1966 UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

There is some disquiet over whether this latter option, even if it only focuses on the ECHR, would get through Parliament, principally because of opposition in the House of Lords, but also because of a rump of Conservative MPs who have set their faces against their own voters. The Prime Minister cannot allow the defeatism or cowardice of some of his Tory colleagues to get in the way of ending this scandal.

The thousands of migrants entering the country illegally every year are infuriating the public, and potentially constitute a security threat given that we do not know who they are. But the fact that outdated international conventions can stop our representatives from doing what they were elected to do also threatens to undermine faith in democracy itself.

The Prime Minister needs to take a similarly hard-headed approach to legal migration. The current numbers are making a mockery of the promise inherent in Brexit that Britain would once again have control over its borders.

Mr Sunak should not be afraid of a fight on migration – illegal or legal. A semi-skimmed version of the Rwanda plan will not be enough. It would only confirm to the voters that the Government, too terrified of offending bien pensant opinion, is not serious about stopping the boats.

Source : Yahoo

The post The Rwanda Policy Needs an Iron-Clad Bill appeared first on Policy Print.

Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria, said Africa is poised to become the next frontier for investments, trade, and innovations, subject to sustaining reform momentum in the continent’s policy and regulatory regimes.

Speaking at the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Osinbajo stressed that it is possible to unleash economic prosperity in Africa if governments accelerate reforms, restructure governance systems, and harness demographic dividends.

Osinbajo added that the secret to unlocking Africa’s huge potential lies in investing in education for the youth and reimagining key sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and financial services.

Kenya is hosting the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend that has brought on board retired African presidents, senior officials, industry executives, heads of multilateral agencies, donors, civil society leaders, and scholars to discuss innovative ways to revitalize governance architecture in the continent.

Convened by Mo Ibrahim Foundation, a not-for-profit pan-African lobby founded by Sudanese-British entrepreneur and philanthropist, the three-day forum is expected to inject vitality into a new governance agenda for the continent that roots for fidelity to the rule of law, transparency, and inclusivity.

Africa has the potential to experience a significant post-pandemic economic rebound anchored on retooling economic policies, improved governance, and visionary political leadership, said Donald Kaberuka, former president of the African Development Bank.

According to Kaberuka, Africa’s greatest potential lies in its vast natural wealth like minerals and arable land, skilled youthful workforce, the embrace of democratic tenets, and ongoing economic reforms that are attracting foreign direct investments.

Kaberuka said Africa’s economic renaissance is in sight once the continent hastens diversification, invests in green manufacturing, and revamps crucial sectors like education and health.

He added that the African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to convert the continent into a manufacturing and trading hub besides shielding countries from tremors in the global supply chains.

Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, African Union special envoy for food systems, emphasized that structural reforms, progressive leadership, and leveraging technology and innovations are key to realizing the continent’s growth and transformation agenda.

Mayaki said African nations should establish vibrant and resilient institutions of governance in their quest to tackle poverty, under-development, climate crisis, and conflicts. 

The post African Officials Call for Policy Shift To Accelerate Economic Renewal appeared first on Policy Print.