‘In the past, we don’t dig into relevant areas. We only tell the public what the government wants us to tell them but now that we know the technique…we tell them exactly what we have seen, the simple truth, and it will ginger the government into action’.

 

It’s never quite that easy, but this editor in northern Nigeria is clearly inspired by his radio station’s new found ability to promote transparency and accountability on public spending.

 

Nigeria scores a dismal 20 out of 100 in the Open Budget Index because the Government provides ‘scant or no’ information on its budget and financial activities throughout the course of the year, a situation which this project hopes to change.

 

One means of doing so is to equip reporters and programme makers with the skills to interpret local, state and federal budgets and ask the right questions when the numbers don’t stack up. The training delivered by the BBC World Service Trust is complemented by the activities of partner organisation Integrity, an anti-corruption NGO which mounts campaigns around instances of financial mismanagement or inappropriate public spending.

 

There’s no doubt that budgets can be dull, but they’re the key tool when it comes to improving public services. A key objective of the training is to make budgets relevant and accessible to audiences and spark people’s interest in what can often look like nothing more than a long list of numbers.

 

As one reporter in Awka notes ‘I have become more aware of my audience and how to tailor my stories to meet my audiences’ needs’. Another in Dutse says, ‘‘Before, even if I noted or reported figures, I just reported the amount. But now, I am concerned about how the money is spent’

 

An important component of the training is iLearn, which supports the reporters in between rounds of face to face training. New modules like ‘How Budgets are Made and ‘Reporting Numbers and Numbers and Statistics’ add real value to the quality of the trainees experience.

 

However, connectivity is poor in Nigeria and it takes real commitment to get to an internet café and complete modules. One editor argues that it’s worth the hassle; ‘Our organisation is now perceived as more credible because the ordinary people now feel like they can be heard through our medium’.

 

To visit the Nigeria Budget Monitoring website, please click here: http://www.budgetmonitoringng.org/

To look at the cartoons featured in the project, please click here: http://www.budgetmonitoringng.org/Cartoons/2007/