By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State has emerged as Nigeria’s fifth best performing state in fiscal transparency for the first quarter of 2025.
This was in the latest Fiscal Transparency League Table released by BudgIT, a foremost civic-tech organization promoting open governance across the country.
The state of the living spring shares the fifth spot with Adamawa, Cross River, Edo, and Taraba states, each scoring an impressive 92 out of a possible 100 points.
The ranking evaluates how well Nigerian states disclose financial information and manage public resources in a transparent and accessible manner.
BudgIT’s evaluation focused on seven key indicators, Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Proposed Budget, Approved Budget, Citizens Budget, Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports (BIR), e-Procurement Portal Official and Website Fiscal Data Repository.
Osun State excelled in critical areas such as the MTEF, proposed and approved budgets, and earned high praise for maintaining a robust, publicly accessible fiscal data repository on its official website.
The state also published all quarterly budget implementation reports on time, a practice still rare among many Nigerian states.
According to the report, Osun’s performance reflects a strong institutional commitment to transparency and public accountability in governance. It also signals that the state is laying down a strong framework for open budgeting practices and responsible fiscal management.
However, BudgIT noted that Osun missed out on a perfect score due to some shortcomings in its Citizens Budget particularly the absence of translations or simplified versions in local languages, which limits accessibility for non-English-speaking residents.
The report also recommended improvements to the state’s e-procurement portal to enhance openness in the contracting process.
A senior official from the Osun State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the ranking reflects Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration’s commitment to open governance.
“This recognition by BudgIT affirms our efforts to build public trust by ensuring fiscal openness. We are already taking steps to improve areas identified, especially the e-procurement platform and grassroots accessibility to budget documents,” the official stated.
The report has sparked commendation from civil society organizations and policy analysts, who described Osun’s performance as “encouraging” in a time when many citizens demand more transparency and accountability from public office holders.
As states continue to compete in creating open and inclusive fiscal systems, Osun’s Q1 2025 performance could mark a turning point in its journey towards becoming a national model for transparent governance.
