Nigeria scores a dismal 20 out of 100 in the Open Budget Index because the government provides 'scant or no' information on its budget and financial activities.
The Open Budget Index rates countries on how open their budget books are to their citizens.
Why does this matter? Because without this information citizens can't monitor, or much less influence or negotiate, public spending on the most basic services, such as healthcare, education, roads and power.
In the worst case scenarios, a lack of information about government budgets means that corruption and embezzlement go unchecked.
Increasing transparency
One means of increasing transparency and accountability of budget processes is to equip journalists with the right skills to interpret local, state and federal budgets, report on them in a way that makes sense to their audiences, and to ask the difficult questions on the audience's behalf when the numbers don't stack up.
Before, I just reported the amount. But now, I am concerned about how the money is spent
Reporter in Dutse
The BBC World Service Trust has been delivering the Budget Monitoring Project in Nigeria since 2006.
Budget monitoring
The project has two interlinked strands: training of journalists and political cartoonists delivered by the BBC World Service Trust, and a series of grassroots advocacy activities managed by a partner organisation, Nigerian NGO Integrity, which are designed to support citizens and communities in using the media's improved budget analysis to mobilise public opinion around specific areas of concern - corruption, embezzlement, inefficiency or inappropriate spending.
As one reporter in Awka notes "I have become more aware of my audience and how to tailor my stories to meet my audiences' needs."
Another in Dutse says, ''Before, even if I noted or reported figures, I just reported the amount. But now, I am concerned about how the money is spent."
Impact
The wider impact of the project is already being felt: thanks to combined pressure from Budget Monitoring journalists and Integrity Club members, the State Government in Anambra agreed to include, for the first time, a budget line for drinking water for the Achina community in the 2008 budget.
The coalition will continue to monitor expenditure to ensure the commitment is honoured.