• A new governance accountability initiative, Steward Awards, has launched digital tools in Lagos to track local government performance
• The platform is designed to independently monitor, verify and rank projects executed by local governments and selected state MDAs
• The initiative aims to improve transparency and public accountability, especially as local governments now receive larger direct allocations

A new governance accountability initiative has been launched in Lagos to independently track how local governments perform, using digital tools, field verification and citizen reporting to measure project delivery and public impact.

The initiative, known as the Steward Awards, introduces a digital verification platform designed to monitor, validate and rank projects executed by local governments, as well as selected state ministries, departments and agencies.

Organisers said the platform was created to improve transparency, strengthen accountability and provide the public with clearer visibility into how public funds are spent at the grassroots, especially as local governments now receive larger allocations following increased financial autonomy.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Director of Government Relations for the Steward Awards project, Eva James, said the platform was designed to ensure that governance outcomes at the grassroots are not only delivered but independently verified and made visible to the public.

“Now that local governments have financial autonomy and are in charge of billions of naira in allocations, it becomes pertinent that the grassroots understand how that money is being expended,” James said.

She explained that the initiative is also aimed at correcting the imbalance between actual project delivery and public perception, noting that some local government administrations carry out meaningful work without public recognition, while others receive attention without delivering measurable results.

“Some are actually working in silence and doing big projects, but nobody knows what they are doing, while some are not even working at all; they only make noise and blow their trumpets,” James noted.

“There are also some that do projects for the sake of doing projects, not necessarily those that meet the pressing needs of communities.”

According to James, the Steward Awards intends to replace perception-based recognition with evidence-based assessment by combining digital submissions with on-ground verification.

She said citizens will be central to the process, with community members able to submit photos, feedback and testimonies on projects in their areas through a dedicated digital platform.

“We will conduct community-based verification and deploy digital tools for citizens to submit supporting evidence and testimonies of projects being done in their areas and also vote,” James said.

“By the time we verify submissions, it will clearly show the real impact on people’s lives.”

James added that the nomination process would be fully community-driven and free from the financial barriers often associated with award systems.

“No one pays to be nominated or awarded. It is the people in the community that will nominate leaders because they feel what has been done is worth recognition.”

Head of Media for the project, Bolaji Fesomade, described the Steward Awards as an independent and non-partisan governance assessment system built on measurable performance indicators rather than political rhetoric.

He said the initiative comes at a time when local councils are handling larger public budgets, making structured and independent performance tracking more important.

“To ensure that these resources translate into real development, there must be a system that tracks and verifies what is being done,” Fesomade said.

Fesomade disclosed that the initiative will begin with all 57 local government areas and local council development areas in Lagos State before expanding to other parts of the country.

He said the long-term objective is to create a national benchmark for evaluating grassroots governance and public sector performance.

Programme Director Godfrey Egbuokporo said the assessment model will combine digital data collection with physical inspections carried out by field monitors who will verify projects on-site.

He added that independent auditors and a jury panel will also review and validate findings before results are published to strengthen credibility and reduce bias.

“We are setting a precedent for knowledge-driven governance assessment,” he said. “The process is backed by evidence from real projects and independent verification mechanisms.”

Egbuokporo said the initiative will feature two major components: a policy forum focused on governance, accountability and citizen participation, and an awards ceremony recognising top-performing public officials.

He added that the first edition of the Steward Awards will hold on 5 December 2026.

The initiative also includes a governance oversight structure led by a Board of Trustees made up of public and private sector figures, including former Deputy Inspector General of Police Leye Oyebade (retd), businessman Cosmas Maduka, and media and policy experts Alabi Williams and Dr Yakub Oshifuye.

Organisers said the combination of digital tracking, citizen reporting and independent verification is expected to create a stronger accountability culture in local governance and establish a more credible system for measuring project delivery and community impact across Nigeria.

Federal High Court unveils e-filing system in Lagos to speed up justice delivery

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal High Court of Nigeria had launched its electronic filing system in Lagos, marking a major step in its transition from manual, paper-driven court processes to a faster and more transparent digital system.

Speaking at the inauguration, Justice Tsoho said the court was making a deliberate break from the inefficiencies that have long slowed justice delivery.