Funmi Ogundare
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), is ready to ship the keynote handle on the public screening of ‘LG Billions in the Dark’, an investigative documentary on the extended native authorities management disaster in Osun State, scheduled to maintain on October 29, on the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The documentary, produced by DevReporting, examines the disaster and its implications for public finance, accountability and repair supply on the grassroots.
The screening can be chaired by the Publisher of Premium Times and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dapo Olorunyomi.
Falana will converse on the theme, ‘Accountability, Resources and Citizen Voices: Building Local Governments that Work for the People,’ addressing native authorities autonomy, public useful resource administration, residents’ rights and accountability.
The occasion will even characteristic a panel dialogue involving public officers, civil society leaders, governance specialists and teachers.
The panellists embody Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde; Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Zikirullahi Ibrahim; and Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri.
Others are Head of Tracka at BudgIT, Joshua Osiyemi; a lecturer within the Department of Political Science at UNILAG, Vera Amaechi; and Senior Multimedia Strategist at DevReporting, Bukola Adebayo.
DevReporting Team Lead, Mojeed Alabi, mentioned the documentary mirrored the organisation’s dedication to public-interest journalism and investigating governance points affecting residents.
He mentioned the occasion would additionally characteristic the revealing of the Development Reporting Africa Foundation (DRAF), a non-profit initiative established to strengthen growth reporting, promote public engagement and advance accountability throughout African communities.
A fundraising initiative can be launched to help the muse’s work.
Alabi added: “DevReporting is developing a civic education and youth engagement programme to take the documentary to tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.”
The initiative, he famous, will characteristic campus screenings, coaching, mentorship and youth-led accountability tasks aimed toward enhancing undergraduates’ understanding of native authorities administration, public finance and citizen participation.
“Local governments are responsible for essential services, including primary healthcare, sanitation and basic infrastructure. However, concerns over financial control, political interference and council autonomy have continued to feature prominently in debates about grassroots governance,” Alabi said.
The documentary was produced with help from the Royal Norwegian Embassy via the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.
