By Ayobami Ayorinde and Doyinsola Wale-Banmore | On 25 June 2026, Agora Policy graduated the second cohort of its Policy Writing Fellowship and officially launched two new digital public-interest platforms, the Local Governance Accountability Portal and the Policy Registry.

The fellowship and the digital platforms are part of the series of activities under Policy Support, Deepening and Engagement (PSDE) project, an initiative of Agora Policy implemented to strengthen evidence-driven and participatory approaches to policymaking and governance in the country and supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The event was held at the Conference Hall of the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in Abuja.

In its second year, the four-month Policy Writing Fellowship is Agora Policy’s flagship intervention introduced to enhance the capacity of competitively-selected mid-career professionals to conceive, research and write compelling and impactful policy papers. The programme was delivered through a series of physical and virtual workshops, mentoring sessions and experience-sharing engagements, culminating in individual policy papers produced under the direction of assigned supervisors. The policy papers by the graduating fellows cover a diverse set of topics, ranging from artificial intelligence, disease-containment strategies, air quality, food security, job creation, gender equity, and industrial policy. More than 800 applications were received from individuals across different countries of which twenty-five fellows were competitively selected representing think tanks, the private sector, the public sector, civil society organisations and the media, with twenty-two successfully completing the programme.

The Local Governance Accountability Portal was developed to enhance access to local governance data across Nigeria's 774 local government areas. The platform provides historical data on allocations by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), profiles of local governments, information on elected officials, and interactive data visualisation tools to support research, analysis and citizen engagement. The LGA portal was developed by Agora Policy in partnership with The Cable, the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI) and the Punch Media Foundation. The platform is intended to promote greater transparency, accountability and public participation in local governance by empowering citizens and civic groups with accessible and user-friendly data.

The Policy Registry, on the other hand, is a comprehensive digital repository designed to improve public access to policy documents, reports, and other governance resources. By bringing policy documents together in a searchable and accessible format, the platform aims to support research, policymaking, public learning and institutional memory. The platform also incorporates AI-enabled search tools to improve the discovery and use of policy resources.
In his welcome address at the event, Agora Policy's Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Waziri Adio, explained that the Local Governance Accountability Portal was created to empower citizens, civil society organisations, researchers, journalists, and other stakeholders with the information needed to hold local government officials accountable. He stressed that meaningful national development requires greater citizen attention to governance at the local level. He also congratulated the graduating fellows for successfully completing the programme. Speaking at the event, Dr. Kole Shettima, Africa Director of the MacArthur Foundation, congratulated Agora Policy on the successful completion of another fellowship cohort. He commended the organisation for its continued efforts to strengthen accountability and transparency in Nigeria, particularly through the Local Governance Accountability Portal.

Goodwill messages were delivered by Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau; Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Commander and Director of Public Affairs at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who represented the Chairman of the Commission; Mr. Christopher Ogbaji, Special Assistant Risk and Strategy Coordination, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), who represented the CEO of the agency; Mr. Chris Okeke, Senior Governance Adviser at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Ambassador Emmanuel Obi Okafor, mni, President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI); Mrs. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, former Member of the House of Representatives representing Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State; and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

The keynote address was delivered by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman. She emphasised that the quality of policy thinking determines the quality of policy outcomes. She further noted that national development should be viewed not only through macroeconomic indicators but also through the effectiveness of service delivery, especially at the local level, highlighting the importance of the Local Governance Accountability Portal. Speaking on the Policy Registry, she noted that the platform would help address the challenge of institutional memory by providing a central repository of policy documents and governance resources for policymakers, researchers, journalists, students, civil society actors, and development partners.

One of the major highlights of the event was the live demonstration of both the Local Governance Accountability Portal and the Policy Registry. The development team led by Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Onyeabo guided participants through the features and functionalities of the two platforms, demonstrating how they can be used for research, analysis and citizen engagement.

After which two fellows shared reflections on their experiences and the impact of the fellowship on their capacity and development, certificates were subsequently presented to the graduating fellows by Ms. Ijeoma Uju, Board Member, Agora Policy and Partner at Templars, one of Nigeria’s leading law firms. 
The twenty-two fellows who successfully completed the second cohort of the Policy Writing Fellowship are: Abdullahi Ibrahim, Kareem Abdulrasaq, Sarah Moses, Regina Alachi, Eseosa Iyagbaye, Akinmayowa Shobo, Mairo Ibrahim, Kingsley Ndimele, Offiong Moore, Stephen Klanzama, Ayomide Ladipo, Kashema Bahago, Abdul-Khalid Salihu, Zainab Nasir, Claire Mom, Omolara Ejiade, Amira Abubakar, Godwin Kwaghnghee, Benita Ezumezu, Mukhtar Garba, Princess Emma-Ibezim and Dorcas Anaja.

Other notable guests at the event included Dr. Umar Yakubu, Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFPTI); Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, author and former presidential spokesperson; Mr. Sagir M. Yunusa, Head of the Local Government Initiative at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Mr. Uchenna Arisukwu, National Civil Society Adviser, Open Government Partnership Nigeria; and Dr. Mohammed Shuaibu of the University of Abuja. 

Below are some of the distinguished personalities and guests who attended the event: