President Muhammadu Buhari launched the National Monitoring and Evaluation Platform (EYEMARK) on Wednesday.
Buhari launched the project monitoring website (www.eyemark.ng) and accompanying mobile app shortly before the start of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Presidential Villa’s council chambers in Abuja.
He stated that the app is used to monitor and evaluate government projects.
The President stated that the federal government can no longer rely on a small number of Monitoring and Evaluation teams to oversee the vast number of infrastructure projects spread across the country.
He said, given that his administration has invested in infrastructure projects more than any other before it, it is only fitting to create adequate avenues for close monitoring by citizens.
According to him, this will 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.”
He 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.
In his address earlier, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said EYEMARK will 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, relying on the public comes with the risk of misinformation, he warned.
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.
Before the meeting, the council observed a minute’s silence for a departed member, Demola Seriki, who was 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.
In attendance were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, 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 physically attending the meeting are 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 Eonomy, 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.