The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government on Wednesday outlined new conditions for the quarterly Stakeholder and Citizens Engagement Meetings, saying the Federal Government is commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and citizen participation in governance.
The recommendations, released by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, impose stricter obligations on ministries to ensure that these sessions function as legitimate platforms for public involvement.
According to the CDCU, engagement meetings were implemented as a deliverable for all ministries in response to President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that all ministers frequently communicate government efforts, beneficial programs, and policies to the public.
“This deliverable is to bridge the gap between the government and citizens, foster a good relationship between both parties, promote inclusivity, and ensure active citizen participation,” the statement read.
The meetings, it continued, are expected to promote the knowledge of government policy while eliminating misinterpretations held by Nigerians about the Tinubu-led administration.
As part of the new criteria, each ministry is required to hold at least one stakeholder or citizen engagement meeting per quarter, with the minister leading the session with the Permanent Secretary and other key officials.
The CDCU highlighted that the engagement must be a high-level contact where government officials not only inform the public but also receive direct feedback from stakeholders, which would be taken into consideration for policy revisions.
The CDCU anticipates that civil society organizations, professional groups, the media, and ordinary residents will attend the meetings to ensure broad involvement.
It emphasized the importance of inviting the mass media—both print and electronic, including major internet platforms—to cover these events in order to raise public awareness.
The Ministry of Information and National Orientation is also expected to play an important role in media coordination.
It also elucidated that not all ministerial public appearances qualify as stakeholder engagements.
Such encounters include “ministers granting scheduled interviews (TV, radio, or at events) to explain policies without stakeholders’ involvement.
“Ministers attending events and speaking about ministry activities without stakeholders’ participation,” the statement read.
In the same vein, recorded familiarization visits by investors will not be considered a substitute for these meetings.
According to the unit, interactions must be structured, inclusive, and participative to enable real-time citizen engagement.
The feedback process, it stated, remains an important part of these meetings.
Therefore, “ministers and ministry officials must be prepared to respond to concerns raised by stakeholders both during and after the meetings,” it read.
The presidency stated that to maintain openness, it demands that ministries give evidence of compliance, including copies of invitation letters sent to stakeholders, an attendance list, a copy of the minister’s presentation, and a full summary of the conversations held.
Tinubu’s new guidelines emphasize citizen-centric governance by requiring ministries to document feedback and incorporate it into decision-making. This ensures that government policies are effectively communicated and shaped by public input.
