President Muhammadu Buhari has launched a National Monitoring and Evaluation mobile app and platform codenamed EYEMARK.
EYEMARK was unveiled shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the council chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the President, his administration has invested more in infrastructure projects than any other government before now; hence it is wise to create such a platform for checkmating the execution and running of the projects.
Buhari said the federal government could no longer depend on its handful of Monitoring and Evaluation teams to oversee the vast number of infrastructure projects spread nationwide.
He stressed that the latest development would close the existing gaps and promote citizens’ participation in governance. Buhari also blamed the spate of corruption on the poor implementation of infrastructure projects across the country.
With EYEMARK, the President said, “The status of projects, the total amount appropriated and dispensed so far are now available in the public space.”
The Nigerian leader urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies to cooperate with the coordinating ministry, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to avail the required information to be captured on the platform.
Also present at the launching of the mobile app is his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and other FEC executives.
In his remark earlier, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said EYEMARK would empower citizens and Civil Society Organisations to monitor capital projects in real-time to promote accountability.
Agba noted that the platform leverages a large network of citizens who can monitor projects in their localities.
However, he warned that relying on the public comes with the risk of misinformation. “Therefore, EYEMARK has been equipped with spatial technology to track images and to ascertain their origins.
“If a user is in Kaduna, we can determine the authenticity of the reviews. And we can know if the image was uploaded from the location the user claimed it was sent from,” he explained.
Agba also revealed that the website and its accompanying app were developed by Nigerians of the average age of 24, with inputs from stakeholders and industry experts.
Others present at the FEC meeting today include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.
Also in attendance (physically) is the Ministers of Finance, budget and national planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare; Science and Technology, Olorunimbe Mamora; Police Affairs, Maigari Dingiyadi.
Others are Minister of States for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; Environment Sharon Ikeazor and Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
Joining virtually are the Ministers of Education, Adamu Adamu; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Defence, Bashir Magashi; Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; and his state counterpart Sen. Gbemisola Saraki; Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management, Social Development, Sadiya Farouq; Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Industry, Trade and Investment (State) Maryam Katagum.
TheNigeriaTimes understands that before the commencement of the meeting today, the council observed a minute’s silence for a departed member, Demola Seriki, a former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources under the Umaru Yar’Adua administration.
Before his death on December 15, Seriki, 63, was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain.
