BudgIT, CODE Track Covid-19 Funds in Seven Nations

BudgIT and Connected Development (CODE) have begun tracking Covid-19 intervention funds in Nigeria, The Gambia, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Cameroon, and Kenya.

The two civic-tech non-governmental organisations (NGOs) kicked off the tracking with the launch of the Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP).

They said in a statement that the project was aimed at ensuring targeted governments use the Covid-19 intervention funds effectively.

BudgIT and CODE, according to the statement, will leverage their Tracka and Follow the Money platforms to track Covid-19 funds received across the aforementioned countries.

‘Retrospectively, our experience with tracking Covid-19 has shown a deeply rooted systematic profiteering culture, especially in an environment that lacks accountability and civic engagement’, BudgIT Director Oluseun Onigbinde said.

‘We also observed that there is an increasing mistrust from citizens on the delivery of palliative care in Nigeria, Kenya and Liberia due to representatives who abuse the process and the absence of comprehensive citizen data’.

For his part, CODE Chief Executive Officer, Hamzat Lawal, said, ‘As nations of the world tackle the plague of [Covid-19], with funding for African countries amassing in millions of dollars, it has become expedient to block financial leakages and ensure funds do not end up in personal pockets.

‘With CTAP, BudgIT and CODE will advocate for accountability, transparency, and open governance while strengthening civic awareness and ensuring that targeted governments use Covid-19 intervention funds effectively.

‘The project will address the threat of lack of accountability and the effects of Covid-19 on socio-economic development’.

Source: Connected Development

Photo source: NCDC

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