Legislative ACCOUNTABILITY
and CONSTITUENCY
Engagement
...a creation by OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative to facilitate citizen engagement in the democratic process
About Us
The Legislative Accountability and Constituency Engagement (Leg’ACE) Programme is a creation by OrderPaper Nigeria to facilitate citizen participation in the democratic process.
It is a community-driven initiative focused on promoting citizen engagement and legislative accountability right from the grassroots. Members of the Leg’ACE community are called ACEs - Active Citizens Engaging the Legislature. The programme is designed to bridge the gap between citizens and the legislature by facilitating meaningful interactions, fostering dialogue, and empowering citizens to actively participate in the legislative process.
It is a community-driven initiative focused on promoting citizen engagement and legislative accountability right from the grassroots. Members of the Leg’ACE community are called ACEs - Active Citizens Engaging the Legislature. The programme is designed to bridge the gap between citizens and the legislature by facilitating meaningful interactions, fostering dialogue, and empowering citizens to actively participate in the legislative process.
What we do and how we build capacity
The Leg'ACE Programme aims to foster a supportive community where members can learn, share knowledge, and collectively impact government service delivery. It includes monthly plenary sessions, regular parliamentary knowledge exchange, internship opportunities, invitation-only programs, leadership and mentorship experiences, and tracking of Constituency Projects. OrderPaper Nigeria facilitates these sessions, allowing ACEs to gain practical experience in legislative processes, communication, and citizen knowledge. The programme also offers leadership and mentorship experiences, and tracks the performance of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs) under the auspices of parliament. These activities aim to promote citizen engagement in the budgetary process and improve value-for-money in public expenditures.
The Objective of the Programme
The Leg’ACE Programme recognises the importance of citizen engagement in democratic governance. It seeks to create a sustainable platform for citizens to take an active role in shaping public policy, advocating for their rights, and holding legislators accountable. OrderPaper constantly implements programmes and activities that build the capacity of ACEs while periodically providing opportunities and outlets for them to express themselves and make meaningful contributions to the democratic process at different levels.
The ACEs Creed
To keep a strong focus on the objective of the programme and maintain a strong bond among members of the Leg’ACE community, ACEs generally subscribe to a set of related declarations otherwise called the ACEs Creed which are represented in the images below:
The Legislatures Accountability and Constituency Engagement Programme Leg'ACes has impacted me in so many ways.
It gave me an opportunity to have great interactions with public office holders through its online webinar, there has been informative conversations and lectures on advocacy and public policy advisory in Nigeria and Africa.
It has proven to be a data driven organization, which has been in shaping policies and holding the appropriate stakeholders accountable which attracts citizens engagement and the legislature.
Through Leg'ACe, I have been able to improve my knowledge and skills in key areas such as legislative drafting, budget analysis, and oversight. I have also been able to engage more meaningfully with our constituents through town hall meetings, constituency outreach programs, and other activities.
The program has also helped me to strengthen the relationship between legislators and civil society organizations, as well as the media. This has led to increased transparency and accountability in legislative activities, as well as greater public participation in the legislative process. Overall, Leg'ACe has had a positive impact on the accountability and constituency engagement of legislators in Nigeria. It has helped me to improve the quality of legislative work, promote transparency and accountability, and increase public participation in the legislative process.
It has developed my skills and knowledge. It has given me a sense of purpose and belonging. Being part of Leg’ACE has been a very positive and enriching experience for me
The Leg'Aces programme has been a channel of learning and engaging in Nation building. It has impacted me greatly. It is the vehicle that has brought me to the mainstream of electoral participation, policy dialogue and legislative activities. The Leg'ACE has trained and set me out as a Soldier in demand of accountability for nation development.
The impact of legislature accountability and Constituency Engagement Programmes has done so much good to me in terms of knowledge exposure around the legislative and parliamentarians activities in the National Assembly through a citizens engagement community platform Initiated by the Orderpaper Nigeria , where young like minded Citizens engage in monitoring and evaluating the activities of the various leadership Representative of states at the national assembly. It has also built my knowledge over the period on demanding for citizen inclusion, transparency and Accountability in the interest of the public while also taking me though the various steps on how Bills are proposed, formed to become Law and also the process of Constitutional Amendment of those laws . Finally, it has helped in developing my capacity to strengthen my commitment as an active Citizens in monitoring, Reporting and tracking issue based Constituency Projects around my community and state and to be responsible in contributing my ideas in changing leadership narrative in Nigeria.
Gallery
How to become a part of the programme
The Leg’ACE programme is built to give citizens an authentic platform to voice their concerns and make inputs into the legislative process and build synergies that advance transparent and accountable service delivery by representatives in Parliament. So whether you are a grassroots citizen, a community-based or civil society organisation, a member of parliament, a private sector player, or even a local or global development partner, there is a role for you to play in being part of our Leg’ACE community. Your participation as a stakeholder in the democratic process and the satisfaction of being able to contribute to the public policy process are some of the key attractions and advantages of being involved with us.
As a citizen of Nigeria, you are most welcome to join us by filling the form here (please use the one appropriate for you either as a student or not:
General applicants:
https://forms.gle/e3aiNWqfnymCQzNq9
Student applicants:
https://forms.gle/b6Uy6FB7MxLdmx9u6
For all other stakeholders, kindly send an email to know how to be part of the Leg’ACE programme: info@orderpaper.ng. You can also send SMS or a WhatsApp message to the following telephone numbers:
+234 704 700 3031 | +234 704 700 3032
As a citizen of Nigeria, you are most welcome to join us by filling the form here (please use the one appropriate for you either as a student or not:
General applicants:
https://forms.gle/e3aiNWqfnymCQzNq9
Student applicants:
https://forms.gle/b6Uy6FB7MxLdmx9u6
For all other stakeholders, kindly send an email to know how to be part of the Leg’ACE programme: info@orderpaper.ng. You can also send SMS or a WhatsApp message to the following telephone numbers:
+234 704 700 3031 | +234 704 700 3032
Our Impact and Milestones
The Leg’ACE Programme has recorded some solid milestones and impacts in just over a year of its existence. These include the following:
1. Building a community of over 360 ACEs - Since inception, the Leg’ACE Programme has witnessed a substantial growth with at least 360 ACEs spread across the federal constituencies of the country.
2. A semi-autonomous leadership structure - The Leg’ACE Programme is proud to have evolved into a strong community with semi-autonomous leadership at the national, zonal and state levels. These structures have become veritable outlets for members of the community to learn the art and act of leadership.
3. Participation in elections observation and monitoring - Courtesy of OrderPaper Elections Project, members of the Leg’ACE community were actively engaged in the observation and monitoring of the 2023 national and state assembly elections. The contribution of ACEs in the exercise was very significant in arriving at the findings of the OrderPaper Elections Observatory, key among which was the prevalence of bandwagon voting in the polls.
1. Building a community of over 360 ACEs - Since inception, the Leg’ACE Programme has witnessed a substantial growth with at least 360 ACEs spread across the federal constituencies of the country.
2. A semi-autonomous leadership structure - The Leg’ACE Programme is proud to have evolved into a strong community with semi-autonomous leadership at the national, zonal and state levels. These structures have become veritable outlets for members of the community to learn the art and act of leadership.
3. Participation in elections observation and monitoring - Courtesy of OrderPaper Elections Project, members of the Leg’ACE community were actively engaged in the observation and monitoring of the 2023 national and state assembly elections. The contribution of ACEs in the exercise was very significant in arriving at the findings of the OrderPaper Elections Observatory, key among which was the prevalence of bandwagon voting in the polls.
4. Community outreaches - The Leg’ACE Programme provides and supports members of the community to undertake and benefit from community outreaches to mobilize citizens for several public and governance causes. A good example was a voter mobilization exercise undertaken by ACEs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja | 2003: FCT ACEs hold awareness campaign for national assembly elections in Abuja
5. Elevated ACEs as beneficiaries of the programme - In just over a period of one year, the programme can boast of some members of the community whose capacities have been sufficiently built to enable them take on higher responsibilities in public and private platforms.
5. Elevated ACEs as beneficiaries of the programme - In just over a period of one year, the programme can boast of some members of the community whose capacities have been sufficiently built to enable them take on higher responsibilities in public and private platforms.
Our Community Leadership
OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative is deliberately designed and support’s a leadership structure across national, zonal and state levels to drive the self-organising framework of the Leg’ACE community.
Below are members of the national leadership - ACEs who were nominated and elected by community members themselves.
Below are members of the national leadership - ACEs who were nominated and elected by community members themselves.
National Community/Caucus LeaderEfio-Ita Nyok
Deputy National Coordinator, NorthDeborah Obiabo
Deputy National Coordinator SouthUkeme Anwan
National Chief Whip, OrderPaper NigeriaRabo Michael
