NGIJ Heads to Gombe for Five-Day Governance Assessment Visit, Aliagan Leads Investigative Team
The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) is set to undertake a five-day Governance Assessment Visit (GAV) to Gombe State from November 9 as part of its sustained commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and evidence-based assessment of governance across Nigeria.
The exercise, which will bring together a delegation of experienced investigative journalists from different parts of the country, will be led by the President of the Guild, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan.
In a statement signed by tbe National Secretary of the Guild, Mr. Rowland Olonishuwa stated that, "The visit is designed to undertake an independent, comprehensive and evidence-driven examination of governance performance in Gombe State, with particular attention to public service delivery, implementation of government policies and projects, institutional effectiveness and the overall impact of governance on the lives of citizens."
According to the statement, "the NGIJ delegation is expected to engage relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), government officials, development institutions, civil society organisations, community leaders and residents to obtain first-hand information on the state's development trajectory."
It added, "The assessment will cover critical sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, economic development, employment generation, environmental sustainability, security, local government administration, transparency and accountability.
"The investigative team will also examine government interventions in grassroots development, access to essential social services, rural infrastructure, human capital development and the effectiveness of public institutions in responding to citizens' needs.
Particular attention will be given to the relationship between government policies, budgetary provisions, project implementation and measurable outcomes, with a view to determining how public resources are translated into tangible development benefits."
Speaking ahead of the exercise, NGIJ President, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan, described the Governance Assessment Visit as one of the Guild's most important institutional mechanisms for strengthening democratic accountability and promoting responsible governance at the subnational level.
Aliagan said the Gombe assignment was not designed to condemn government or endorse political narratives but to provide an independent assessment of governance through verifiable facts, documentary evidence and citizens' experiences.
According to him, the Guild recognises that every government has achievements, challenges and areas requiring improvement, stressing that responsible investigative journalism must be courageous enough to examine all three without prejudice.
"Our mission in Gombe is to look beyond official pronouncements and political narratives to establish what is actually happening across critical sectors of governance. We want to understand the policies being implemented, examine the projects being executed, assess the quality of public service delivery and determine how these interventions are affecting ordinary citizens.
"Governance assessment is not about looking for faults or celebrating government. It is about establishing facts, identifying progress, interrogating gaps and providing citizens with credible information about how their state is being governed.
"Where government has performed well, we will acknowledge and document such achievements. Where there are gaps, implementation challenges or unmet expectations, we will equally bring them to public attention based on verifiable evidence. Our commitment is to truth, fairness, professionalism and the public interest," Aliagan stated.
The NGIJ President further explained that the Guild's approach recognises the importance of constructive engagement with public institutions, noting that investigative journalism should contribute to institutional improvement rather than merely generate controversy.
He added that the delegation would give relevant government institutions and stakeholders opportunities to provide information, clarify issues and respond to observations arising from the assessment.
The Gombe assignment represents another phase in NGIJ's expanding national governance accountability programme, which has seen the Guild undertake similar assessment exercises in Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kwara, Osun and Kaduna states.
These exercises have provided opportunities for investigative journalists to examine government policies, assess public expenditure, investigate the implementation of development projects and document citizens' experiences with public service delivery.
The Kaduna assessment, for instance, adopted a documentary and evidence-based approach in examining workers' welfare and minimum wage implementation, drawing on relevant government and labour records, including salary documents and bank transaction alerts, alongside responses from relevant authorities and stakeholders.
Through these exercises, the Guild seeks to strengthen the connection between investigative journalism, public accountability and democratic governance while encouraging citizens to become more informed participants in the governance process.
The initiative also reflects NGIJ's conviction that governance accountability should not be restricted to election periods but must remain a continuous democratic responsibility.
Gombe State, popularly known as the Jewel in the Savannah, occupies an important position in Nigeria's North-East development landscape.
With its considerable agricultural potential, growing economic activities, traditional institutions and strategic location, the state presents an important case for examining the relationship between public policy, economic development and social welfare.
The assessment will provide an opportunity to examine the administration's development priorities, particularly in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, economic diversification, environmental management and grassroots development.
It will also examine the effectiveness of relevant institutions responsible for coordinating development projects and delivering essential social services across the state's 11 local government areas.
The Guild considers the perspectives of ordinary residents particularly important in determining the extent to which government policies and programmes are addressing the real needs of communities.
Aliagan reiterated that the Guild would maintain its independence throughout the exercise, explaining that its relationship with government institutions would be guided by professionalism, mutual respect and the overriding responsibility to the Nigerian public.
He noted that the credibility of governance assessment depends on the integrity of the process, the reliability of information obtained and the willingness of investigators to subject official claims to independent verification.
"Our responsibility as investigative journalists is to the truth and the people. We are not coming to Gombe as political opponents of the government, neither are we coming as its promoters. We are coming as professionals committed to finding facts, documenting evidence and strengthening public accountability.
"We believe that good governance thrives where institutions are transparent, public resources are properly managed, policies deliver measurable results and citizens have access to reliable information. This is the standard we intend to uphold throughout the exercise," he added.
The President also called on the Gombe State Government, heads of ministries and agencies, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies and residents to cooperate with the visiting journalists by providing relevant information and facilitating access to verifiable records and project locations.
He stressed that the cooperation of stakeholders would enrich the assessment and ensure that the eventual findings reflect a balanced understanding of governance realities in the state.
At the conclusion of the exercise, the Guild is expected to consolidate its findings into a comprehensive governance assessment report, highlighting documented achievements, institutional strengths, implementation challenges and areas requiring policy attention.
The report will provide an evidence-based account of the state's governance performance and offer recommendations that could assist policymakers, development stakeholders and citizens in strengthening accountability and improving public service delivery.
The Guild believes that making governance information accessible to citizens is essential to building public trust, strengthening democratic institutions and promoting sustainable development.
The five-day Gombe assignment therefore represents another important step in NGIJ's determination to institutionalise investigative journalism as an instrument of democratic accountability, public enlightenment and national development.
For the Guild, the ultimate objective is not simply to assess government, but to ensure that governance delivers measurable improvements in the lives of the people.
