In continuation of the call for good governance, Thursday Talks, the monthly conversation with thought leaders, change agents and active citizens aimed at driving conversations around the demand for good governance driven by active citizenship held on Thursday, 28th May.

The conversation moderated by Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq, with panelists, Yinka Ogunnubi and Ayo Sogunro was titled “The Future of Governance: Leading an electorate in the era of social distancing.”

Aimed at continuing a push to ensure the status quo in governance changes, the May edition took a shot at proferring sustainable methods to change the way we look at governance in Nigeria; with a special focus on reforms.

Kicking off the discourse, Temidayo asked what the panelists think of government efforts towards stopping the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and Ayo insisted that the bulk of the credit should be given to the people who have led interventions – hardly the government.

Yinka, who is known for his strict call for social justice said we need to look at present realities to mold how the future will turn out. “The reality right now is, there’s a way we have been doing things…we can’t continue that way,” Yinka says. “How do we amend our laws for the post-COVID world.”

Due to COVID19 – Physical Distancing concerns, our electoral laws need to be amended, putting into consideration some alternative mechanisms of campaigning & remote voting methods. @yinkanubi #ThursdayTalks pic.twitter.com/IkpthxGB8r

— EiE Nigeria (@EiENigeria) May 28, 2020

He adds, “We have to begin to look at the way we do governance. It has to change, has to be reflective of what the future holds. State governments should put a stop to politics and populist moves and focus on reforms.”

For Ayo, “we need a situation where every local government has the data of every resident in the local government. This data can be used by the state government for policies.”

Ayo adds that our systems are only relics of the colonial era and there’s a need to tune in to modern systems, so there is actual development.

It is interesting how a few state governments are looking at a post-COVID era and taking steps to do better. However, we are still trying to pack our bags in this journey and we all need to continue to demand good progressive governance and work with the government to make this work.

Watch the full conversation below:

Thursday Talks Lagos which holds on the last Thursday of every month is an initiative of Enough is Enough (EiE Nigeria); a network of individuals and organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability through active citizenship, The Future Project (TFP); a not-for-profit organisation committed to building empowered citizens across Africa, through (inclusive) enterprise and (active) citizenship and BudgIT; a civic organization that applies technology to intersect citizen engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change.

The initiative is proudly supported by YNaija, the internet newspaper for young Nigerians, focused on the issues and ideas that matter for an evolving generation.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram