A spark ignited by frustration

Oluseun’s interest in civic tech was born out of a deep-seated frustration with the state of Nigeria’s public finances. Looking back, he says he recognized that lack of transparency and accountability in government spending was one of the major hindrances to effective service delivery.

This realization led him and his co-founder, Joseph, to establish the BudgIT Foundation in 2011 with a clear mission to simplify public budgets and ensure citizens have access to information that allows them to hold their governments accountable.

Since its inception, BudgIT Foundation has developed various civic tech solutions to bridge the gap between citizens and their governments. In addition to developing mobile applications and websites, the foundation has also added partnerships and research to their change-maker’s toolkit. They have published dozens of budget analysis reports, policy papers, and investigative pieces on public finance and governance.

By making public finance data more accessible and understandable, the organization has empowered millions of people across Africa to engage in civic discourse and demand better governance. Currently, the organization has programs running in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Liberia.

Addressing development challenges in Africa

During our discussion, Oluseun identified key challenges facing the African development sector. He stressed the importance of fiscal efficiency, enhanced public finance management, and stronger accountability mechanisms as critical areas that need urgent focus. Oluseun also pointed out that cultural and societal norms often hinder participation in development, creating additional barriers that need to be addressed.

Having worked in multiple countries on the continent over the last decade, Oluseun underscores the importance of collaboration in driving lasting change. His organization’s decision to join the Global Alliance for Communities stems from their commitment to supporting and strengthening civil society organizations across the continent.

Acutely aware of the many challenges the sector faces — such as short-term grants, a lack of solidarity among peers, and the need for significant resources for sustainable change — Oluseun remains hopeful that collective action can lead to meaningful progress.

Building trust and encouraging innovation

According to Oluseun, openness, trust, and patience are essential for achieving better results in African development. He stressed the importance of fostering deeper trust between the international donor community and African leaders, saying this would create a more supportive environment for innovation.

By centering open communication in discussions about funding and program implementation, Oluseun says we can begin to interrogate the efficiency of common development practices on the continent.

“There is a lot of patience being given to international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), where they are awarded 7-year projects worth millions of dollars. Then you have young (local) organizations that have proven the concept and done incredibly well in advancing accountability and transparency but are struggling to get support for even USD 500 thousand.

So you find this local organization is always in a fragmented funding cycle that is taking a lot of their energy chasing different funders – energy that could be better used in service of their mission. One way to address this would be the use of a collective fund where the organizations are assured that once they get these resources over a certain period of time, they can run and set monthly or yearly targets.

With such a system, local organizations can be honest about the challenges they face and how they are trying to mitigate those issues. In addition to increasing funding allocations to grass-roots organizations, we also need to increase our patience and trust for local leaders.”

With the right support, local organizations can create positive change in their communities and expand the reach of their programs for greater impact, he adds.

This belief is central to GAC’s mission, and that of its member organizations. We partner with local leaders globally to enhance their capacity and impact through training, research, networking, and advocacy programs.

The future of civic technology

Since its inception in 2011, the organization has grown from a small team of three to a leading fiscal transparency group in West Africa with around 80 staff. Through their work, BudgIT Foundation has activated access to public services in over 4,000 communities in Nigeria, reaching approximately 12 million people.

For the team at BudgtIT Foundation, the future of civic technology is bright. Oluseun expressed excitement about the potential of AI and machine learning to revolutionize public finance data management and combat corruption. He believes that the institutional adoption of civic tech solutions is crucial for directly influencing the culture of governance in Africa.

He also offered valuable advice for those looking to make an impact in the field: ”…stay hungry, patient, and curious while grounding your efforts in a deep understanding of local contexts, norms, and cultures.” This approach, he believes, is key to ensuring the efficacy and sustainability of civic tech initiatives.

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