Open Data Initiatives and Governance Transparency in Nigerian Context

Open data initiatives have gained traction globally as a means to enhance transparency in governance and public services. In Nigeria, these efforts are underway but face challenges related to institutional capacity and citizen engagement. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews. Data was collected through an online survey targeting citizens and public sector officials across various regions in Nigeria. Analysis of the survey data revealed that 75% of respondents reported increased trust in government services following the implementation of open data initiatives, indicating a positive correlation between transparency and citizen engagement. Open data initiatives have shown promise in fostering greater governance transparency and public accountability. Future research should focus on scaling these efforts while addressing institutional barriers to their full realization. Policy makers are encouraged to prioritise investments in open data platforms and training programmes for enhancing both the quality of provided data and citizen access to information. Open Data, Transparency, Governance, Citizen Engagement, Nigeria Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.