Governance literacy
The Civic Compass.
Helping citizens understand power, policy and public responsibility — patiently, accurately, and without partisan colour.
Why governance literacy matters
A citizen who does not know how government is structured cannot hold government to account. Much political failure in Nigeria is shielded by confusion: citizens cannot tell which level of government is responsible for what fails, or how a policy moves from intent to law to implementation.
The Civic Compass closes that gap. It serves as the everyday governance reference of the Civic Reset Project.
What the Compass covers
- Who does what in government. Federal, state and local — duties, limits and lines of responsibility.
- How public money moves. Budgeting, allocations, procurement and public accounts, in citizens' language.
- How policy is made and unmade. From draft to law to implementation — and where citizens can shape it.
- How to engage your representatives. Practical tools: oversight, petitions, public records, town hall presence.
- Public values and civic duties. What a citizen owes the country, beyond voting once every four years.
How the Compass is written
- Non-partisan: no party is favoured or attacked.
- Evidence-led: claims are sourced from law, policy and public records.
- Plain language: written for the citizen, not for the political class.
- Patient: governance is a long subject and the Compass treats it as such.
Compass materials are published in the resource library and in dedicated explainers as they become available.