Build Trust Before Implementing Reforms, Awosika Tells Governments ‎

By Sanni Marvelous

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‎A former permanent secretary, Dr Dere Awosika, has urged governments to build trust with citizens before implementing public sector reforms, saying public confidence and stakeholder participation are necessary for successful policy delivery.

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‎Awosika said reformers must engage public servants and affected communities from the beginning to understand their concerns and identify the institutional weaknesses that need to be addressed.

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‎She spoke on the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation podcast, Reform Is Not a Guessing Game.

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‎She warned against treating reforms as instructions handed down by authorities, insisting that they should be developed through discussions with stakeholders.

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‎“Reforms are not supposed to be a pass down of instructions. It’s supposed to be a discussion on the weaknesses, identify them, and see that the goals that you set to meet are not being met,” she said.

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‎Awosika, Chief Executive Officer of Josephine Consulting Ltd, cited her experience leading polio eradication efforts in Nigeria, where engagement with traditional and religious leaders helped address community concerns and build acceptance of vaccination.

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‎“We need to build trust with citizenry. They cannot believe us unless we trust them,” she said.

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‎An economist and policy strategist, Dr Akin Olusoji-Akinyele, said feedback from beneficiaries must remain part of the reform process to establish whether the changes were working.

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‎“The reform itself is not complete until the beneficiary has given you some form of feedback as to whether this is working,” he said.

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‎The discussion was moderated by Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice Chair of the Foundation, ahead of the launch of its Public Sector Reform Playbook in Abuja on November 19.