In a society where policy shortcomings may result from presumptions and shortcuts, GINGER(an outcome of one of the key recommendations from an ongoing interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral PhD research project at the African Studies Centre, Leiden University) presents a daring fresh approach based on evidence, experimentation, and teamwork. But precisely what is GINGER, and why is it becoming one of the most exciting policy ideas from Nigeria?

Supported by the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Governance and Innovation Network for Enhanced Regulations (GINGER) is a pioneering project headed by Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API)

Fundamentally, GINGER is about reinventing policy making. GINGER enables public and private sector partners to co-create policies tested in real-world situations using Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and other rigorous evidence-gathering methodologies, therefore transcending reliance on tradition, opinion, or guesswork.

Why is GINGER Important?

Good policy has great stakes, particularly in Nigeria where a fast rising young population, economic disparity, and systemic inefficiencies call for clever, inclusive, and scalable answers.

GINGER enters this terrain with a specific goal in mind:

• To evaluate policy concepts before they get into effect at mass.
• To link scholars, civil society, the business sector, and government players.
• To equip institutions for evidence-based governance.
• To provide courses of instruction capable of influencing quicker, better policies.

This movement is toward “policy by insight” from “policy by intuition.”

GINGER’s approach is based on the conviction that proof has to be practically useful. Asking the appropriate questions, applying the appropriate methods, and including the appropriate individuals follow from this. It also involves putting feedback loops into policymaking so that, when fresh data surfaces, policies might change.

GINGER is transforming the game in the following ways:

• Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are aimed at guiding legislators and regulators toward knowledge of what works, what does not, and why.
• GINGER brings together improbable partners–ministry officials, tech innovators, experts, and young people–to co-design solutions as a community of practice.
• By means of seminars and participation events, GINGER helps institutions to improve their capacity for data interpretation, coordination for regulatory purposes and application.

GINGER’s Larger Vision: Institutionalizing Transformation

One-off success is insufficient. GINGER is dedicated to formally implementing evidence-based policymaking by including it into public sector operations in Nigeria. Thus:

• Building policy divisions that routinely test concepts.
• Creating lines of budget for monitoring and assessment.
• Encouraging a society in which data is welcomed instead of feared.

Though still in its early years, GINGER is already teaching a strong lesson: policymaking may be proactive, inclusive, and transforming rather than merely reactive.

The ultimate aim in the long term is a nation where:

• Before they are scaled, policy ideas undergo testing.
• Future molding is done in part by young people.
• Governments are responsible, open, and nimble.
• Deliver effect by means of innovation and proof; they are inseparable.

The GINGER Initiative marks a mental change rather than only a policy lab. It challenges us to consider: What if every policy was tested, trusted, and catered to actual needs of individuals? And it tests everyone of us–in government, academia, or civil society–to help create a better future, since ultimately, great policies are about people rather than only process?

Track GINGER’s path and join the movement toward evidence-based, smart, government in Nigeria.