How Eyemark is Transforming Government Project Monitoring in Nigeria
The Challenges
In the busy offices of Nigeria's National Monitoring and Evaluation Department, a challenging reality was unfolding. Every year, a dedicated team of about 40 individuals faced the daunting task of monitoring over 20,000 federal government projects spread across Africa's most populous nation. The limited resources and traditional methods at their disposal were proving inadequate for the magnitude of their responsibility.
Beyond the walls of government offices, citizens across Nigeria were asking questions. What projects were being implemented in their communities? How were their tax dollars being spent? Despite the government's efforts to communicate through traditional channels, there remained a persistent disconnect between the administration's development initiatives and public awareness.
This landscape sparked our collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria. Together, we envisioned a solution that would not only streamline project monitoring but also bridge the gap between government activities and citizen engagement. This vision gave birth to Eyemark – a customised version of Stigdata designed specifically for Nigeria's unique challenges.
Understanding the Ground Reality
Our journey with the Federal Government of Nigeria began with immersive research that revealed complexities far beyond basic monitoring challenges. Through extensive interviews with various government stakeholders, we discovered a web of interconnected issues:
- Data silos preventing efficient information sharing
- M&E officers drowning in paperwork rather than conducting meaningful evaluations,
- and inconsistent data collection methods leading to delayed project insights.
These were major barriers standing between well-intentioned government initiatives and their successful implementation.
Crafting a Tailored Solution
With these insights, we began customising Eyemark to address not just monitoring challenges, but the entire project management ecosystem.
- We developed standardised data collection tools that worked across various project types.
- Created automated reporting systems for instant insights
- and made our biggest breakthrough: Realizing that citizens could be powerful allies in project monitoring.
By enabling public participation, we could extend the government's project oversight far beyond their team of M&E officers, effectively turning every Nigerian with a smartphone into a potential project monitor.
The Beta Launch
The beta launch of Eyemark proved transformative, with immediate positive feedback from various stakeholders.
- M&E officers who had initially been sceptical found themselves saving countless hours on routine tasks,
- Project managers gained unprecedented visibility into their projects' progress,
- and citizens began actively engaging with project information in their communities.
This phase of constant refinement and user feedback helped us evolve Eyemark from a simple monitoring tool into what would become a nationally recognized platform for project oversight and citizen engagement.
International Recognition and Presidential Endorsement
The impact of Eyemark quickly resonated beyond Nigeria's borders. During the platform's beta phase, international development leaders took notice.
The UN Systems Resident Coordinator at the time, Matthias Schmale, praised the platform's user experience, while the global CEO of OGP made a remarkable comment at the Internation OGP convention:
"Eyemark is the most coordinated citizen-driven application that aligns with the OGP I have seen in the entire world."
These endorsements culminated in a historic moment: the official launch of Eyemark by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, establishing it as the Federal Government's official monitoring and evaluation platform. This presidential endorsement marked a new chapter in Nigeria's journey toward transparent and efficient project monitoring.
From Vision to Reality: The Ripple Effect
What began as a solution for central monitoring has sparked a transformation across Nigeria's governmental landscape. Following the presidential launch, ministries and agencies began embracing Eyemark, each finding innovative ways to leverage the platform for their specific needs.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) now uses Eyemark to provide regular updates on education projects, ensuring transparency in this crucial sector.
The Federal Ministry of Health gained a comprehensive view of projects across its 150+ agencies, revolutionizing healthcare project oversight.
The Ministry of Works, in a groundbreaking move, adopted Eyemark at their national council meeting, partnering with state ministries to enhance infrastructure project monitoring nationwide.
The Ministries of Aviation and Digital Economy have embraced Eyemark's data collection and reporting tools, transforming their monitoring processes.
Each adoption story adds a new chapter to Eyemark's impact, demonstrating how technology can enhance government efficiency while strengthening public trust.
Looking Ahead: A Continuing Journey
The story of Eyemark still unfolds. As more agencies adopt the platform and citizens engage with government projects in their communities, we're witnessing a fundamental shift in how government and citizens interact.
The Eyemark journey demonstrates how thoughtfully designed solutions can revolutionise public sector operations and stakeholder engagement. For organisations worldwide grappling with project monitoring challenges— whether
- Tracking initiatives across multiple locations,
- Demonstrating impact to donors, or
- Freeing teams from endless reporting
— our experience with the Federal Government of Nigeria shines a path forward that transforms these common hurdles into opportunities for enhanced operations and engagement.
Through Stigdata, every organisation can write its own transformation story. Whether you're a government agency seeking to build public trust or an NGO striving to maximise impact, we've mapped the journey to a more efficient, and engaging project monitoring—one where technology doesn't just solve problems but creates new possibilities for meaningful stakeholder connections and measurable impact at every level.