UpNaija.ng Urges Nigerians to Monitor and Hold Government Accountable for Infrastructures

By Oluwakemi Kindness

In a renewed push to restore public confidence in governance, civic tech platform UpNaija.ng has called on Nigerians to actively monitor infrastructure projects and demand greater transparency and accountability across all levels of government.

The platform, designed to empower citizens with real-time access to verified information on government-funded projects, aims to bridge the widening trust gap between public officials and the Nigerian people.

Speaking at a news briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Technical Lead of the platform, Samuel Chukwunonso, said the initiative provides Nigerians the ability to track, verify, and engage with over 10,000 government projects across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. These include projects at the federal, state, and local government levels.

“The goal is to put power back in the hands of the people,” Chukwunonso said. “With UpNaija.ng, citizens no longer have to rely on vague announcements or media propaganda. They can see, comment, and verify projects happening in their communities.”

He expressed concern over the rampant issue of abandoned projects, duplicated contracts, and inflated costs, adding that many such cases go unchallenged due to lack of access to credible data.

To address these challenges, UpNaija.ng combines technology and civic participation. The platform’s monitoring strategy includes:

• Geo-targeted social media campaigns that focus on specific communities and expose project updates to the relevant audiences;
• Community-generated feedback, allowing users to upload pictures, post comments, and verify or debunk government claims;
• Occasional physical site visits for project verification by field teams to ensure authenticity.

The platform also features an interactive project dashboard, searchable by state, local government area, sector (health, education, roads, etc.), and project status—whether completed, ongoing, or stalled.

Independent and Transparent

During the event, the team clarified that UpNaija.ng is a privately-funded, not-for-profit initiative, with no political affiliations or government funding.

“Our independence is our strength,” said Chukwunonso. “We don’t alter public feedback, and we cannot be pressured into removing content. What citizens post remains transparent and visible for all to see.”

Citizens can sign up on the platform using their email address and phone number, while government contractors or public officials wishing to upload official project data are required to register using verified government credentials such as a NIN or municipal ID.

Bridging the Information Gap

Also speaking at the briefing, the Head of Media, Henry Oloko Jr, emphasized that the platform was created to combat misinformation, propaganda, and political manipulation of project outcomes.

“The idea is not to attack government but to build a bridge between the people and their leaders,” he said. “The government may be working, but without proper communication and citizen participation, those efforts remain invisible.”

Henry explained that the platform’s long-term mission is to ensure that future elections are informed by performance, not promises.

“With verified data available to the public, Nigerians can assess whether a governor or local chairman deserves re-election based on facts, not campaign slogans,” he added.