European Union funded Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (EU-ACT) programme, has trained 23 Civil Society Organisation and empowered them to build the capacity of 150 youths on various skills in Enugu State.
Damilare Babalola, the National Programme Manager of EU-ACT in his opening remark at the closing-out ceremony in Enugu on Thursday, 7th March, 2024, said “ACT’s Programme is funded by the European Union and is being implemented by the British Council. Its priority goal is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria through enhancing the capabilities of CSOs and their role as independent development actors and drivers of change.”
Babalola in the remark read on his behalf by component 1 manager, Dr. Ifeoma Chukwuma further stated that “Enugu state is one of the focal states selected for ACT’s implementation. We have also productively engaged with 23 CSOs comprising CBOs, CSOs and Network/ Associations working in the rural and semi-urban locations, while 3 CSO networks coordinated strategic dialogue with critical government agencies including several agencies in the past 3 years of working with CSO partners in this state.”
She said the participating organisations were successfully trained on “financial management procedures, long-term strategic planning, fundraising approaches and strategy, G&SI mainstreaming and policy development, monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks, child protection, safeguarding policies, risk management, to name a few. With a full commitment to the implementation of these policies, our CSO partners have set for themselves a clear path to operate in a transparent, credible and accountable manner.”
On some of the key achievements of the programme, Dr. Chukwuma said; “We have seen rapid, progressive and meaningful change in the operations of the 23 CSOs that we worked with in your state. Our partners have demonstrated and affirmed our strong belief that through tailor-made training, coaching, mentoring and peer-to-peer learning, and supporting an enabling operating environment, CSOs are indeed critical agents of sustainable development, who can work hand-in-hand with the state government and reap the mutual benefits and rewards.
“In no small measure, we have seen an improvement in the capacities and capabilities of CSOs to pursue effective policy advocacy, strategic and constructive dialogue and engagement with government, as well as effective and efficient project implementation at the community level.
“More importantly, we have seen evidence of rapid and sustainable improvements in our CSO partners’ organisational and financial management, demonstrated by putting in place and implementing policies and procedures that are compatible with best standards for organizational management.”
“We have seen an increase in the number of emerging and developing CSOs (including some CBOs) whose capacity have been substantially developed especially in the area fund raising. In this state, about 2 CBO were able to implement donor-funded project for the first time, and many more have been able to apply and win grants from other donors aside from ACT. This, according to most of them, is a result of capacity development training received from the ACT Programme.
“In this state we saw 1 CSO WACOL actually coaching and mentoring non-ACT CSOs in important elements of Organisational Development – demonstrating the capacity of CSOs to strengthen and support other CSOs.”
She charged the CSOs “not to rescind in your effort. The success of yesterday may not address today’s challenges, and today’s progress will not meet the needs of the future if we hold back and fail to develop within our emerging and changing context. We hope that you will continue to leverage the skills, knowledge and experience that you have garnered in partnering with the ACT Programme for the betterment of your state, the people and progress of your organizations.”
In her speech, the Enugu State Focal person of EU-ACT, Ms. Kobi Ikpo said the programme “is unique in the sense that it has built the capacity of NGOs to function on their own as serious, credible actors, contributing to sustainable development in Nigeria.
“We also built their capacities in terms of helping them to be compliant to regulatory bodies, such as paying taxes, registering for pension schemes, making sure they’re registered with CAC, filing their annual returns, etc.
“A lot of them are now visible, becoming members of international organisations. From their exposures in this programme, we have CSOs that are writing and winning proposals.
“They built the capacity of 150 youths, empower them with different skills such as poultry, bead-making, ICT, etc. in different communities in six local governments. This initiative was aimed at ending illegal immigration. We also enlightened over 10,000 women and young people on the dangers of irregular migration.
On the challenges faced during the three years, Ms. Ikpo said; “One of our major challenges is that the Civil Society Orgnisations will usually not want to work together, they compete with each other. They operate like private sector and it shouldn’t be so because the field is very wide and one CSO can’t solve the entire problem.
Another challenge is getting the CSOs to take forward all we’ve done in the past three years.
In his goodwill message, Enugu Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Felix Nnamani said he’s a “witness to what the ACT did in the state doing and I’m happy one of my friends is a beneficiary.”
He highlighted what the current administration is doing to address the water challenge in the state.
While acknowledging the work of the CSOs in the rural areas, the commissioner made a request for an advocacy for the communities to own these interventions of both the government and organizations.
Similarly, SPA to wife of Enugu State Gender Affairs Dr. Amaka Okenwa said it has always been a pleasure to partner with CSOs and the government is doing so much on Gender Based Violence, Child labour and protection of the girl child.
She assured that Her Excellency is ready to identify with any programme that will be based on making the society better.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of certificates to the various CSOs that participated in the 3 years programme.
The event was attended by heads of various MDAs, Traditional Rulers and members of the public.
