Nigeria
Good Governance Africa - Nigeria (GGA-Nigeria) Aims to contribute to good governance, through research, policy engagement and other activities that help promote sustainable socio-economic development in Africa’s largest economy and most populous country.Three Research Pillars
The GGA-Nigeria research stream is our core activity and is organised around three thematic pillars; each reflects Nigeria’s pressing challenges and impending opportunities:
Programmes
As the pre-eminent centre of excellence working to improve governance in the country, GGA-Nigeria’s activities are organised around three core thematic pillars that reflect Nigeria’s most pressing challenges and opportunities:
Improving the Business Environment (BIZ-ENV PROGRAMME)
This programme covers analysis of “software” issues that currently constrain well-functioning markets and dynamic business sectors in Nigeria. Priority themes include enhanced corporate governance, competitiveness and corporate sustainability and responsibility. The programme aims to lead pioneering research on standardised reporting and transparent accounting, which applies to both government and business.
Programmes
As the pre-eminent centre of excellence working to improve governance in the country, GGA-Nigeria’s activities are organised around three core thematic pillars that reflect Nigeria’s most pressing challenges and opportunities:
Improving the Business Environment (BIZ-ENV PROGRAMME)
This programme covers analysis of “software” issues that currently constrain well-functioning markets and dynamic business sectors in Nigeria. Priority themes include enhanced corporate governance, competitiveness and corporate sustainability and responsibility. The programme aims to lead pioneering research on standardised reporting and transparent accounting, which applies to both government and business.
Programmes
As the pre-eminent centre of excellence working to improve governance in the country, GGA-Nigeria’s activities are organised around three core thematic pillars that reflect Nigeria’s most pressing challenges and opportunities:
Improving the Business Environment (BIZ-ENV PROGRAMME)
This programme covers analysis of “software” issues that currently constrain well-functioning markets and dynamic business sectors in Nigeria. Priority themes include enhanced corporate governance, competitiveness and corporate sustainability and responsibility. The programme aims to lead pioneering research on standardised reporting and transparent accounting, which applies to both government and business.
Extractives, Power and Oil Sector Reform (EXT-REF PROGRAMME)
This programme is concerned with the reform of Nigeria’s extractive industries (oil and gas, and the re-emerging mining sector), which together constitute the primary, sources of government revenue, even though the overall share of extractives has shrunk significantly to just over 10% of Nigeria’s increasingly diversified economy. Key themes of this programme include the reform of taxation and overall fiscal provisions in these sectors that can help Nigeria recalibrate its focus from “Gas-for-Export” to “Gas-to-Power” projects.
Enabling Innovation and Sustainability Drivers (INN-SUS PROGRAMME)
This programme aims to uncover and upscale successful governance innovations by connecting them to sources of technical and financial support. It will work to unearth successful governance experiments and tested local models of sustainable transformation. By helping to “tell the story”, this programme hopes to help turn evidence-led innovations into replicable solutions that can, in time, be applied and scaled-up across all of Nigeria’s 36 states. The programme will pay particular attention to locally inspired accountability frameworks, youth, gender and empowerment, climate innovations, as well as agricultural development and catalysts at all levels of government in Nigeria.
Our publications
Understanding the Nigerian petrol industry’s new legal landscape
Looking at the new Nigerian law on social performance in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Defusing Nigeria’s double burden of disease is a development imperative
In 2020, the Covid-19 emergency briefly catapulted public health to the top of the government agenda in Nigeria. As the health crisis unfolded globally, it became clear that most people in the...
The men contending for Nigeria’s presidential seat
Observant Nigerians are currently gripped by both fear and optimism in the face of the country’s divergent realities. On the one hand, rising poverty and insecurity in the land. On the other, a...
Defusing Nigeria’s double burden of disease is a development imperative
In 2020, the Covid-19 emergency briefly catapulted public health to the top of the government agenda in Nigeria. As the health crisis unfolded globally, it became clear that most people in the...
The men contending for Nigeria’s presidential seat
Observant Nigerians are currently gripped by both fear and optimism in the face of the country’s divergent realities. On the one hand, rising poverty and insecurity in the land. On the other, a...
Why the state, not Nigeria, has failed
An article published this May in the Foreign Affairs journal provoked heated debates about whether Nigeria is a failed state. Professor Nic Cheeseman, who is an acquaintance going back a decade ago...
Editor’s note: Turning crisis into a governance reform opportunity
The Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) is compounding Nigeria's governance weaknesses. It has led to an exacerbation of systemic challenges, including depleted state capacity, endemic corruption and...
News from the region
Quickly access all the latest news, articles and press releases from our centres operating in Nigeria
Time Nigeria and Africa hanged tough on South African xenophobia
Many will read with dismay this week's resurgence in xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa (SA). For me particularly, this latest episode hits home in a personal way. Nigeria may need...
Global cities offer lessons to Lagos on dynamic optimisation of transport
Introduction Commuting between mainland Lagos and the central business districts on the island remains a lot more onerous than it should. Long delays on the Third Mainland Bridge during peak periods...
Global cities offer lessons to Lagos on dynamic optimisation of transport
Introduction Commuting between mainland Lagos and the central business districts on the island remains a lot more onerous than it should. Long delays on the Third Mainland Bridge during peak periods...
GGA Nigeria
Dr Ola Bello
GGA Executive Directors
Oladiran (Ola) Bello obtained both his MPhil and PhD degrees in International Relations from the University of Cambridge and also holds a First Class BSc degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He has worked for organisations including the United Nations (New York) and Management Systems International (Washington DC), Merchant International Group (London) and Arthur Andersen (later KPMG). Dr Ola Bello has more than 10 years of experience in research and policy advisory, including on governance and extractive sector reform; sustainable development; and international development cooperation (including in EU-Africa relations). He spent three years with FRIDE (Spain) managing a donor-funded programme on the EU’s role in managing fragility and resource governance in select African countries. In 2012-2015, he was Head, Governance of Africa’s Resource Programme (GARP) at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and also functioned as head of SAIIA’s Cape Town office. Ola is spearheading GGA's technical support to Nigerian reform, including delivering ethics training for senior Nigerian judicial officers and change-makers (2017-2019). He's also working to expand GGA's role as in-country resource centre for multilateral consultative missions to Nigeria's ministries and parastatals. These missions include the UNECA/AU mineral sector governance team.
Fisayo Alo
Author
Fisayo Alo is a Senior Researcher at Good Governance Africa Nigeria where he coordinates and supports research efforts. Fisayo has fifteen years of experience working in the development consulting, research, quality control, and community engagement. His interests include citizen participation in governance, policy analysis, economic development, and sustainable community development. Fisayo holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration (University of Lagos), a Post Graduate Diploma (PDG) in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta), a Certificate in Ethical Circular Economy (Arizona State University), and a B Sc. degree in Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). He has managed a number of development projects and agricultural value chain studies for International donor agencies, such as USAID, FCDO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GTZ.
Eniayo Ibirogba
Author
Eniayo Ibirogba is a law graduate from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom. Before studying law he got a degree in international law and diplomacy from Babcock university, Ogun state, Nigeria. His core interests are policy advisory, community development and human rights.
Julia Bello-Schunemann
Author
Dr Julia Bello-Schünemann is a multilingual research consultant. She is versed in integrated forecasting across sectors (including demographics, infrastructure, economics, conflict and violence, etc.), trend and risk analysis, data analysis, policy advice for governments and international organisations. Her expertise straddles Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union. She possesses vast experience in project management, fundraising, strategic planning, multi-stakeholder consultations, training and facilitation. She is currently an Associate Senior Research Consultant with Good Governance Africa-Nigeria. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the Complutense University Madrid, Spain and an MA in Communication, Political Science and Economics from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich in Germany.
Mark Adogah
GGA Chairmen
Mr Mark Adogah was appointed Chairman GGA-Nigeria in 2021. Mark is a Director at Citibank Nigeria’s Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory (BCMA) business. He is responsible for driving and supervising Citi Nigeria’s strategy for multinational Branded Consumer Goods, Aviation and Oil Services clients. He has been involved in several landmark lending and financing transactions in the industry. Mark has over 23 years’ experience in the areas of financial statements audit and assurance, business advisory and corporate and investment banking. He started his career with Arthur Andersen in Nigeria (now KPMG Professional Services) and worked in the Corporate Bank of Zenith Bank Plc and the Corporate Finance desk of FCMB Capital Markets Limited before joining Citibank. He has been in a senior management role since joining Citibank as an Assistant General Manager in October 2008. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and The Chartered Institutes of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). Mark holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Accounting and a Master's degree focused in Finance and Investments from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. Mark has extensive local and international training on leadership, negotiation, derivatives, risk management, advanced credit skills and other areas of accounting, finance and banking. He is happily married with children.
Kabir Hassan
Author
Kabir Hassan's core interest includes sustainable transport planning systems, community development and policy analysis. Kabir has a degree in Transport Planning and Policy from the Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria. His hobbies include reading, watching football and movies, and playing video games.
Lawal Asiata
Author
Lawal Asiata is currently the office manager and project coordinator for GGA Nigeria. She has worked as a librarian and personal assistant in both private and government parastatals. Asiata holds a bachelor's degree in Library, Archival and Information Studies from University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her hobbies include reading and travelling.
GGA Nigeria
GGA – NIGERIA
GGA-suite (G-12),
Regus, The Waterside,
5, Admiralty Rd, off Admiralty way,
Lekki Phase 1,
Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +234 1 4627411-3
Email: info.nigeria@gga.org
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Improving the Business Environment (BIZ-ENV PROGRAMME)
This programme focuses on myriad “software” issues, which currently constrain well-functioning markets and dynamic business sectors in Nigeria.
These include business regulations, institutions and other determinants of private-sector growth and shared economic prosperity.
We proffer policy alternatives to help address constraints and unleash Nigeria’s economic potential.
Priority themes include enhanced corporate governance, competitiveness and corporate sustainability and responsibility.
Through pioneering research and policy innovations, we seek to crystallise the reciprocal responsibilities required of government, business and the wider community in driving a change and transformation agenda.
Extractives, Power and Oil Sector Reform (EXT-REF PROGRAMME)
Reform of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, along with the re-emerging mining sector, provides the focus for this programme. Closely related is Nigeria’s power shortage, which continues to constrain the economy overall. Although the share of extractive rents in aggregate national output fell after the 2013 economic rebasing, oil and gas remain the major source of government revenue.
Being key levers for social and economic transformation, we seek to tease out innovations and governance re-engineering to promote efficiency, plug leakages and drive competition in these “lifeline” sectors. Priority themes for the programme include transparency and restructuring in oil and gas; the actualisation of Nigeria’s “gas-to-power” push to boost equitable electricity access; and inclusive approaches to mineral resources development, with a focus on industrialisation and structural economic transformation.
Enabling Innovation and Sustainability Drivers (INN-SUS PROGRAMME)
This programme aims to analyse, understand and upscale governance innovation. It seeks to systematise knowledge around successful governance experiments and sustainable local transformation models.
In “telling” transformation stories, the programme will help to turn the evidence on innovations into replicable solutions that can be applied and scaled up in relevant contexts across Nigeria’s 36 states.
The programme will pay particular attention to locally inspired accountability frameworks; youth, gender and empowerment ideas; climate innovations, as well as agricultural development and other catalysts at multiple levels of governance in Nigeria.
Where relevant, GGA-Nigeria seeks to play the role of catalyst for governance innovators to link up with higher policy levels and processes, as well as facilitating access to technical and financial support.
