A team of professionals have set in motion a performance-based awards programme to stimulate effective governance in the Nigerian polity.

The programme, called The Nigerian People’s Choice Awards, is aimed at assessing Nigerian leaders through their performance in 2017. This, according to the organisers, is to ensure that elective public office holders pay more attention to ensuring the delivery of good and effective governance.

Speaking in a media conference in Lekki, Lagos, on Thursday to announce the awards, Adenike Olufade, Managing Director/Chief Executive, DIGIMage Consult and Chairman of the Organising Committee, said the awards is being organised by a team of professionals who believe in a better governed Nigeria and also believe that if Nigerian leaders know that the citizens will assess and rate their performance on a yearly basis, they would pay more attention to ensuring the delivery of good and effective governance.

“The Nigerian People’s Choice Awards is therefore an attempt at ensuring that for the first time in our democratic experience, Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora have the opportunity to decide in a transparent and credible process the best performing leaders every calendar year,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, Bode Opeseitan, a member of the organising committee and Chief Executive of SA &B Mega Resources, said the awards will be Nigerians driven as it will take power to Nigerians even at the grassroots who will assess the performance of their leaders and score their performance.

Although Opeseitan admitted the existence of other award programmes he explained that The Nigerian People’s Choice Awards will give voice to all Nigerians to have their say through a transparent voting process.

“We are trying to ensure that people have a voice and it reflects in the governance style of our leaders. This will make our people more accountable,” he said.

The awards, according to the organisers, will be a critical intervention in the much desired wish of every well-meaning Nigerians to experience wholesale improvement in the quality of governance across all the tiers of governance.

According to them, three top nominees are expected to emerge in each category before finalist will be picked through a voting process.

Nominations will be picked from the various geo-political zones before winners will equally emerge from 18 total categories. These categories include Best Performing Governor of the Year 2017 and Best Performing Legislators of the Year 2017, among others.

Voters can nominate and vote leaders of their choice via online or SMS.

The organisers also announced a panel of three-man jury who are; Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim (Chairman), Prof. Adigun Agbaje (Secretary) and Adaobi Tricia Obinne Nwaubani (Member).

The awards night will take place in April 2018.