By Ola Olukoyede | I am honoured by the invitation as Special Guest and the opportunity to give a goodwill message at this memorable occasion. It was not difficult putting aside my other engagements to be here, as I have come to appreciate Agora Policy as an extremely innovative and resourceful think tank committed to leaving a mark in our policymaking environment.

First, let me congratulate Mr. Waziri Adio, the founder and Chief Executive of Agora Policy and his team for this hat trick event, the graduation of fellows of the second cohort of its Policy Writing Fellowship, and the unveiling of the Local Governance Accountability Portal and the Policy Registry.

Policymaking and implementation have long been identified as twin challenges undermining Nigeria’s development. It is therefore reassuring that Agora Policy opted to address this challenge through human capital development and research. I congratulate the 22 fellows of the second cohort Policy Writing Fellowship for successfully passing through the Agora crucible. The nation is waiting to feel your impact as change agents in Nigeria’s public policy ecosystem. You have a responsibility to make your training count through vigorous policy interrogation and provision of alternative viewpoints that challenge existing orthodoxy.

As the Chairman of an agency dedicated to promoting transparency and public accountability, I am impressed by the investment of Agora Policy in strengthening transparency and accountability at the third tier of government, the Local Government, with the launch of the Local Governance Accountability Portal. The initiative, for me, is a game changer as it promises to lift the veil of opacity that forecloses scrutiny of public expenditures at this tier of government.

For decades releases to local governments from the Federation Account, management of internally generated revenues and expenditures by the councils have been under a mighty cloak of secrecy. And, where records are inaccessible, where citizens cannot interrogate what was received against what was spent, and where elected and appointed officials operate without the discipline of public scrutiny, accountability takes flight.

All that is about to change with the portal being unveiled by Agora Policy. By providing free, open access to financial allocations to local government areas from 1999 to date, alongside the profiles of those councils and the names of their elected officials, the platform does something that legislation alone has struggled to achieve: it puts information in the hands of citizens.

Common wisdom indicates that, information in the right hands is the beginning of accountability. As we have seen, in countries that made subnational fiscal transparency a priority, the combination of open data platforms and an informed citizenry creates a culture in which public officials are held accountable for the management of public resources and citizens actively participate in governance processes.

I also welcome the Policy Registry as a vital resource. Policymakers, researchers, journalists, and citizens who can access a consolidated repository of Nigeria's policy documents will be better equipped to hold the government accountable. Once again, I congratulate Agora Policy on these milestones.

*Excerpts from the goodwill message delivered on behalf of Mr. Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the event by Agora Policy on 25^th June 2026.