Buhari Unveils ‘EYEMARK’ App To Evaluate, Monitor Projects

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, unveiled the EYEMARK platform for national monitoring and evaluation.

Shortly before the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the council rooms of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari unveiled the project monitoring website (www.eyemark.ng) and its companion mobile app.

The President stated that the federal government could no longer rely on its small number of Monitoring and Evaluation teams to manage the numerous infrastructure projects dispersed around the country.

He claimed that it is only appropriate to set up suitable channels for careful citizen monitoring considering that his administration has invested more in infrastructure projects than any other in history.

According to him, this will close the gaps currently present and encourage citizen participation in governance.

Buhari further attributed the recent wave of corruption to the shoddy execution of infrastructure projects throughout the nation

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With EYEMARK, the president said, “The status of projects, total amount appropriated and dispensed so far are now available in the public space.”

He exhorted Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to collaborate with the coordinating ministry, the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, in order to provide the necessary data to be recorded on the platform.

The Minister of State for the Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, stated earlier that EYEMARK will enable individuals and Civil Society Organizations to monitor capital projects in real-time to encourage accountability.

Agba pointed out that the platform uses a sizable network of local residents who can keep an eye on initiatives in their communities.

However, he cautioned that relying on the general population carries the risk of inaccurate information.

Therefore, EYEMARK has been equipped with spatial technology to track images and ascertain their origins.

“If a user is in Kaduna, we can determine the authenticity of the reviews. And we can know if the image was uploaded from the location the user claimed it was sent from,” he explained.

Agba also disclosed that the website and its companion app were created by Nigerians with an average age of 24 with the help of stakeholders and business experts.

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Demola Seriki, a former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources under the Umaru Yar’Adua administration, passed away before the council’s meeting, and the group observed a moment of quiet in his honor.

Seriki, 63, was the ambassador of Nigeria to Spain before his death on December 15.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and the Federation’s Chief of Civil Service Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan were all there.

Also physically attending the meeting are Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare; Science and Technology, Olorunimbe Mamora; and Police Affairs, Maigari Dingiyadi.

Others are Minister of States for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; Environment Sharon Ikeazor and Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The Ministers of Education, Adamu Adamu; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Defense, Bashir Magashi; Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; and his state counterpart, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki; Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management, Social Development, Sadiya Farouq; Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and Industry, Trade and Investment (State), Maryam Katagum; also participated virtually.