OrderPaper Nigeria has announced the release of the ConsTrack mobile application, a user-friendly and innovative tool for citizens to engage elected representatives on constituency projects across the country.

The app is available for download on both Google Play Store and Apple Store respectively.

Every year, the Federal Government appropriates at least N100 billion for constituency projects of members of the National Assembly. State Governments also allocate billions of naira annually for these projects under the aegis of members of the state assemblies. However, the constituency projects scheme has been entangled in reports of corruption, opacity and non-inclusion in terms of implementation.

The ConsTrack app empowers citizens to track the implementation of constituency projects and it comes loaded with verified and validated information on the location of the projects, amount appropriated, level of funding provided the implementing ministry, department or agency, status of implementation and the profiles of the legislators concerned. With the knowledge and understanding provided by the app and the ensuing engagements, citizens are able to ask the right questions and #Demand2Know how our commonwealth is being expended by government in the name of constituency projects.

A defining feature of the app is that it allows citizens to track and directly report their findings on the projects either by text, audio or videos with their mobile devices in the comfort of their neighbourhoods, communities and constituencies. These independent citizens’ reports invariably ignite a chain of updates, reactions and counter-reactions from various stakeholders in a continuous stream of engagement.

A statement issued on Friday in Abuja, signed by Titilope Fadare, Programme Assistant, ConsTrack, disclosed that the ConsTrack project is designed and implemented with support from USAID under the Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) project.

“The ConsTrack app,” according to the statement, “is importantly also a veritable platform for legislators to tell their success on constituency projects in order to provide a balanced narrative and healthy interface between citizens and their elected representatives in parliament.

“In summary, the ConsTrack app is a tool that cuts through the controversy on constituency projects by disrupting corruption and opacity associated with the scheme in a manner that engenders policy reforms along the lines of transparency, accountability and inclusiveness.

“The release of the ConsTrack app is a culmination of various levels of multi-stakeholder consultations and validation exercises that have spanned over a year. Actors and stakeholders that have been involved in the consultations include legislators in the National and State Assemblies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), the Media, Software and IT experts, and Development Practitioners, among others.”