Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of PREMIUM TIMES and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), will chair the public screening of “LG Billions in the Dark”, an investigative documentary examining the prolonged local government leadership crisis in Osun State.

The screening, scheduled for Thursday, 29 October, at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), will feature human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, as keynote speaker.

According to a statement from DevReporting, Mr Falana will speak on “Accountability, Resources and Citizen Voices: Building Local Governments that Work for the People,” focusing on local government autonomy, public resource management, citizens’ rights and accountability at the grassroots.

“Nigeria’s local governments are constitutionally recognised as the tier of government closest to citizens, with responsibilities that directly affect everyday life, including primary healthcare, basic infrastructure, sanitation and other essential services,” it noted.

“However, concerns over financial control, political interference and the capacity of councils to function independently have remained central to debates about local governance in the country.”

Panel discussion

The screening will feature a panel discussion involving public officials, civil society leaders, governance experts, academics and development practitioners.

The panellists include Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde; Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Zikirullahi Ibrahim; and Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri.

Others are Joshua Osiyemi, Head of Tracka at BudgIT; Vera Amaechi, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Lagos; and Bukola Adebayo, Senior Multimedia Strategist at DevReporting.

Speaking ahead of the event, DevReporting Team Lead, Mojeed Alabi, said the documentary reflects the organisation’s commitment to public-interest journalism and examining governance issues with direct consequences for citizens.

DRAF unveiling

The event will also feature the official unveiling of the Development Reporting Africa Foundation (DRAF) and a fundraising initiative to support the foundation’s public-interest development reporting work.

“DRAF is a nonprofit initiative established to strengthen development reporting, generate and communicate evidence, promote public engagement and advance accountability on issues affecting communities across Africa,” Mr Alabi said.

DevReporting is also developing a civic education and youth engagement initiative that will take the documentary to tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The initiative will combine campus screenings, training, mentorship and youth-led accountability projects to deepen students’ understanding of local government administration, public finance and citizen participation.

According to DevReporting, the initiative is aimed at encouraging more young Nigerians to take an interest in how local governments are funded, how public resources are spent and how citizens can demand improved services.

The documentary was produced with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy through CJID.

DevReporting is a media and cinematic platform focused on development issues across Nigeria and Africa. It produces investigative reports and multimedia stories and undertakes research and media capacity development to promote transparency, accountability and inclusive development.