The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria, Tuesday in Abuja, kick started a 3-day training of 44 persons within the FCT on social audit.

Speaking, the Country Director ActionAid Mrs. Ene Obi charged the trainees on the importance of participating in the program to help them know their right in their various communities as well as making their community leaders accountable to them.

“If you don’t leave a stage better than the way you met it, then consider yourself a failure, and one would be in a system of failure of leaders and a lot of insanity. You have to be insane when you see so much from other people and yet the investment in Nigeria youth is poor, then what kind of investment, training, and flagships do we have available for our youths? Leaders aren’t doing citizens a favour carrying out responsibilities to their Communities,” Obi stressed.

peaking, the Social Mobilization Manager ActionAid Mr. Adewale Adeduntan said the aim for the training is to apply social audit as an approach to engender good governance and relationship between the led and the leaders because.

“We realised public holder officers take people of the Community for granted like they are doing them a favour.

“It is another channel to create an approach of interaction between those in power and the Community in terms of project intervention and not dump it and to get community information for community to engage constructively,” Adeduntan stated.

Speaking to journalists, he said that confidence lies in the quality of participation. “It is one thing to be trained and another to be able to transfer knowledge and skills to others. But above all, it will be a collective engagement on a platform that would be formed at the end of the workshop. Governance is suffering at the community level and development should be demanded driven.”

Earlier in an interview, the Programme Manager CITAD Ms. Salmat Abdulwaheed disclosed the training to have covered participants from the four Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, i.e. Kwali, Kuje, AMAC and Bwari Area Councils respectively.

According to her, that at the end of the workshop, the participants should be able to train others pulling a number of people to join in the advocacy of their community development and also engage their community leaders in the challenges faced by the people without taking bribe or sweep it under the carpets.

Also speaking, the Partnership and Local Right Advisor Action Aid Mrs Hajara Opaluwa-Adamu said the objective of the training was to teach each representatives of the Communities how to access government intervention projects to facilitate the youths on how to audit and hold their representatives accountable.

Speaking, two of the participants, Mallama Jamila Inusa of Guto Community under the Bwari Area Council and Mr. Ishaya Jonathan Gbashe of Kilankwa2 of Kwali Area Council respectively, collectively acknowledged the training to be an eye opener for them all to be patriotic in the demand for the rights of citizens.

“For me, it was difficult to differentiate between financial audit and social audit. But the class today has given me an edge to ascertain the implementation policy project in my Community and I have learnt that it is crucial to approach them for the project document politely and this would be done collectively as a community, making an enquiry to ensure a quality work is been done,” Gbashe stated.

Actionaid Nigeria in partnership with the Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CITAD), have organised  a 3-day training on Social Audit for 48 activists and facilitators from 18 hard-to-reach communities in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

The training aimed at building capacity of participants to engage implementing agencies for transparency and accountability.

Actionaid is an international  non-profit governmental organization that works with communities to reduce poverty, promote human rights and justice worldwide.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on the other hand, is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and promotion of good governance.

The Country Director of Actionaid Nigeria, Ene Obi said  the  Social Audit Training of Trainers held at Dutse-Alhaji in Bwari Area Council  was predicated on the believe in the power of one person standing right and doing the right thing- starting a change from an environment.

She said that Nigeria is at its present level  because many politicians managing the affairs of  the country have no sanity.

Obi who stated this  on Tuesday while declaring open the 3-day training  said our leaders take the centre stage at every point in time but at the end of their rule,  bequeath no positive change to the country.

Blaming the present predicaments of the country to the failure of our leaders,  she regretted that despite the volume of its  young which are great potential  for development, Nigeria is still at a standstill after many decades.

“Many of our politicians have no sanity. There is a lot of insanity in the environment. If  you don’t leave the stage better than you met it then you are a failure.

“So what we are having is a colossal failure of many leaders.  We have maternal mortality rate like no other time, violence  everywhere, violence against women and girls,  so many people are idle due to unemployment. But we will continue to work hard,” Obi said.

While congratulating the participants for being part of the training, she admonished them not  to give up but stand against bad when it is bad. “Lets work together,  network together, exchange ideas and stand for what is right at all times because that is what will change the future,” she said.

The Actionaid Nigeria Country Director also congratulated the Centre  for Information and Communication Technology( CITAD)for the training.

The training had 48 activists and facilitators from  18 communities in four area councils of the Federal Capital Territory where the organization with support from CITAD is offering interventions.

They include among others:Leleyi Gwari, Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa,  Pai in  Kwali area counci, Tunga-Ashere, Jiwa, Dakwa, Tunga-Nasara,AMAC, Gaube, Kayache, Tukpechi, Bwari-Pasepa,  Guto, Igu, Kuchibuyi  in Bwari area council.

In an interview with journalists, the Social Mobilization  Manager for Actionaid Nigeria, Adewale Adeduntan said the training was to conscientize community members and facilitators on how to apply social audit as an approach to engender good governance, accountability and transparency in terms of the relationship between the lead and the leaders.

He said:”We realize that people in public offices take the citizens for granted a lot. They act arrogantly as if they are doing community people favour. Remembering that the resources they use is our common wealth, they should be used judiciously in such a way that the people can benefit.

“We are  therefore, trying to create an approach whereby we can interact with our leaders interms of the projects and intervention they bring to the communities.”

He said the organizations wanted to create a situation where the people could engage their leaders constructively, ask questions about the project cost, specification to ensure they don’t just dump projects  on the people but execute them according to specifications as this will bring about a new order and good governance in Nigeria.

“The engagement is not going to be an individual thing. The participants will be working on a platform which we call social audit committee which will be formed in the course of the training on Wednesday. They will be officially introduced to the government so that they can now begin to take their decision forward with the government from there,”he explained further.

Adeduntan noted that  at the community level,  local governance is suffering in Nigeria, adding that development should be demand-driven.

“It is the people  that should  demand what they need you to do for them. But   here in Nigeria, people just campaign and say when I  become chairman, I will do this for you. If this is reversed and we have a community assembly where people come together and  say what they need and submit their charter to the government and say this is what we want, the spate of abandoned projects will be reduced.
“It is a natural model that if you are doing things for the people, they should be aware. So confidently, people’s involvement or participation will  accelerate development in Nigeria,” said the Social Mobilization Manager.

Earlier while delivering a presentation  on “Understanding Social Audit and its Importance” Adeduntan explained that Social Audit is a process to establish accountability which empowers the community to ask questions and demand answers from the implementing agencies.

“It is done by the community or beneficiary group. It is an audit of the implementing agency that examines physical, financial and  process-related issues. Both quantitative and qualitative inputs are publicly verified,” he explained further.

Actionaid Nigeria’s  Local Rights Programme Advisor, Hajara Opaluwa-Adamu said also while responding to questions from journalists that the workshop is a social accountability  capacity building  aimed at  training the community people on how to access government intervention in their communities.
“We are trying to see how this facilitators will be able to audit any firm that comes to their communities and hold their representatives accountable to the community. Political office holders are supposed to serve us, so whatever they do is not a favour but their rights, so we are trying to build their rights consciousness so they don’t look at it like its a previlege but their right. What we want to achieve more or less is to have social auditors in the communities,” she explained.

Speaking in the same vein, CITAD Program Officer, Salma Abdulwaheed explained that the training aimed at educating   the community people about social audit- how to seek accountability and transparency in government project in their respective communities.

She said the training became necessary because “we noticed that much is not being done in communities in the FCT like basic infrastructure. There are budgets for constituency projects  but where are those constituency projects?. The  training will help the community activists to  track those project, the progress and where these projects are implemented.”

The programme officer said after the training,  participants  are expected to return to their respective communities to do a  step down training for others in their respective communities “so that we can begin to see changes in constituency projects in their communities.”

“Our expectation is that participants will do a step down training for others in their communities to get other members of their communities to join them in the advocasy. After this they will engage their community leaders to join in the campaign and with their supports, they will be able to engage any politician and demand for accountability and transparency,” Abdulwaheed said.

Participants who were also interviewed at the training by journaliats were greatly delighted to participate in the training.

One of them, Ishaya Gbashe from Kilankwa 11 Community, Kwali Area Council, says he feels so excited about the training because before now  he couldn’t differentiate between financial audit and social audit.
However, with the training, he says he now understand that he has a right to demand for  details of projects being executed by implementing agencies and the government in his community.

The training has opened our eyes to understand that it is very crucial for us to approach our councillors and local
government chairman politely and demand for project documents, budget documents on constituency projects and make enquiries to ensure that intervention deployed is according to specifications.

He  said in due course, he will form a group to engage implementing agencies and government Representatives executing projects in his community.

A female participant, Jamila Inusa from Guto community in Bwari Area Council, said the training has made her knowledgeable about the subject, adding, she can confidently pass on the knowledge acquired to other members of her community.

“The training  has benefited me very much because I now  know what what I didn’t know before,  that I have the right to ask questions about projects in my community. I know how to face my local government chairman or councillor to question them about what they are doing and what they are not doing for our community,” said Inusa.

The training which  continues on Wednesday with other interesting activities, will be concluded on Thursday.

Actionaid Nigeria in partnership with the Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CITAD), has commenced a 3-day training on Social Audit for 48 activists and facilitators from 18 hard-to-reach communities in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

The training aims at building capacity of participants to engage implementing agencies for transparency and accountability.

Actionaid is an international  non-profit governmental organization that works with communities to reduce poverty, promote human rights and justice worldwide.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on the other hand, is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and promotion of good governance.

The Country Director of Actionaid Nigeria, Ene Obi said  the  Social Audit Training of Trainers held at Dutse-Alhaji in Bwari Area Council  was predicated on the believe in the power of one person standing right and doing the right thing- starting a change from an environment.

She said that Nigeria is at its present level  because many politicians managing the affairs of  the country have no sanity.

Obi who stated this  on Tuesday while declaring open the 3-day training  said our leaders take the centre stage at every point in time but at the end of their rule,  bequeath no positive change to the country.

Blaming the present predicaments of the country to the failure of our leaders,  she regretted that despite the volume of its  young which are great potential  for development, Nigeria is still at a standstill after many decades.

“Many of our politicians have no sanity. There is a lot of insanity in the environment. If  you don’t leave the stage better than you met it then you are a failure.

“So what we are having is a colossal failure of many leaders.  We have maternal mortality rate like no other time, violence  everywhere, violence against women and girls,  so many people are idle due to unemployment. But we will continue to work hard,” Obi said.

While congratulating the participants for being part of the training, she admonished them not  to give up but stand against bad when it is bad. “Lets work together,  network together, exchange ideas and stand for what is right at all times because that is what will change the future,” she said.

The Actionaid Nigeria Country Director also congratulated the Centre  for Information and Communication Technology( CITAD)for the training.

The training had 48 activists and facilitators from  18 communities in four area councils of the Federal Capital Territory where the organization with support from CITAD is offering interventions.

They include among others:Leleyi Gwari, Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa,  Pai in  Kwali area counci, Tunga-Ashere, Jiwa, Dakwa, Tunga-Nasara,AMAC, Gaube, Kayache, Tukpechi, Bwari-Pasepa,  Guto, Igu, Kuchibuyi  in Bwari area council.

In an interview with journalists, the Social Mobilization  Manager for Actionaid Nigeria, Adewale Adeduntan said the training was to conscientize community members and facilitators on how to apply social audit as an approach to engender good governance, accountability and transparency in terms of the relationship between the lead and the leaders.

He said:”We realize that people in public offices take the citizens for granted a lot. They act arrogantly as if they are doing community people favour. Remembering that the resources they use is our common wealth, they should be used judiciously in such a way that the people can benefit.

“We are  therefore, trying to create an approach whereby we can interact with our leaders interms of the projects and intervention they bring to the communities.”

He said the organizations wanted to create a situation where the people could engage their leaders constructively, ask questions about the project cost, specification to ensure they don’t just dump projects  on the people but execute them according to specifications as this will bring about a new order and good governance in Nigeria.

“The engagement is not going to be an individual thing. The participants will be working on a platform which we call social audit committee which will be formed in the course of the training on Wednesday. They will be officially introduced to the government so that they can now begin to take their decision forward with the government from there,”he explained further.

Adeduntan noted that  at the community level,  local governance is suffering in Nigeria, adding that development should be demand-driven.

“It is the people  that should  demand what they need you to do for them. But   here in Nigeria, people just campaign and say when I  become chairman, I will do this for you. If this is reversed and we have a community assembly where people come together and  say what they need and submit their charter to the government and say this is what we want, the spate of abandoned projects will be reduced.
“It is a natural model that if you are doing things for the people, they should be aware. So confidently, people’s involvement or participation will  accelerate development in Nigeria,” said the Social Mobilization Manager.

Earlier while delivering a presentation  on “Understanding Social Audit and its Importance” Adeduntan explained that Social Audit is a process to establish accountability which empowers the community to ask questions and demand answers from the implementing agencies.

“It is done by the community or beneficiary group. It is an audit of the implementing agency that examines physical, financial and  process-related issues. Both quantitative and qualitative inputs are publicly verified,” he explained further.

Actionaid Nigeria’s  Local Rights Programme Advisor, Hajara Opaluwa-Adamu said also while responding to questions from journalists that the workshop is a social accountability  capacity building  aimed at  training the community people on how to access government intervention in their communities.
“We are trying to see how this facilitators will be able to audit any firm that comes to their communities and hold their representatives accountable to the community. Political office holders are supposed to serve us, so whatever they do is not a favour but their rights, so we are trying to build their rights consciousness so they don’t look at it like its a previlege but their right. What we want to achieve more or less is to have social auditors in the communities,” she explained.

Speaking in the same vein, CITAD Program Officer, Salma Abdulwaheed explained that the training aimed at educating   the community people about social audit- how to seek accountability and transparency in government project in their respective communities.

She said the training became necessary because “we noticed that much is not being done in communities in the FCT like basic infrastructure. There are budgets for constituency projects  but where are those constituency projects?. The  training will help the community activists to  track those project, the progress and where these projects are implemented.”

The programme officer said after the training,  participants  are expected to return to their respective communities to do a  step down training for others in their respective communities “so that we can begin to see changes in constituency projects in their communities.”

“Our expectation is that participants will do a step down training for others in their communities to get other members of their communities to join them in the advocasy. After this they will engage their community leaders to join in the campaign and with their supports, they will be able to engage any politician and demand for accountability and transparency,” Abdulwaheed said.

Participants who were also interviewed at the training by journaliats were greatly delighted to participate in the training.

One of them, Ishaya Gbashe from Kilankwa 11 Community, Kwali Area Council, says he feels so excited about the training because before now  he couldn’t differentiate between financial audit and social audit.
However, with the training, he says he now understand that he has a right to demand for  details of projects being executed by implementing agencies and the government in his community.

The training has opened our eyes to understand that it is very crucial for us to approach our councillors and local
government chairman politely and demand for project documents, budget documents on constituency projects and make enquiries to ensure that intervention deployed is according to specifications.

He  said in due course, he will form a group to engage implementing agencies and government Representatives executing projects in his community.

A female participant, Jamila Inusa from Guto community in Bwari Area Council, said the training has made her knowledgeable about the subject, adding, she can confidently pass on the knowledge acquired to other members of her community.

“The training  has benefited me very much because I now  know what what I didn’t know before,  that I have the right to ask questions about projects in my community. I know how to face my local government chairman or councillor to question them about what they are doing and what they are not doing for our community,” said Inusa.

The training which  continues on Wednesday with other interesting activities, will be concluded on Thursday.

DATE: 10^TH TO 15^TH AUGUST, 2020

VENUE: ZOOM

The challenge to livelihood and food security in FCT communities disrupts and threatens the sustainability of agricultural and pastoral production and invariably the sustainability of livelihoods of rural communities. Land grabbing have a direct impact on the lives and livelihood of the people by disrupting and threatening the sustainability of pastoral production and agriculture.

This issue reinforces circles of extreme poverty, hunger and destroys social status; food insecurity affects the most marginalized groups that include women and children. The livelihood structure, food security and wellbeing of farmers are threatened and compromised which contribute to poverty, food and nutrition insecurity and poor health of farming communities, and further escalation of conflicts.

Due to the marginalization and the land grabbing issue in FCT, Centre for Information, Technology and Development (CITAD) organized a five days virtual workshop which took place via zoom platform. The five ICT Centres (Dakwa, Tungan Ashere, Leleyi Gwari, Pasepa and Gaube) in FCT participated in the workshop with 25 community activists in attendance: 5 participants from each centre.

The 5 Day training became necessary due to frequent land grabbing that has become a major issue affecting the FCT natives; the aim is at designing campaign strategies to mitigate the menace of land grabbing.

Majority of the FCT natives are predominantly farmers and the issue with land grabbing had lead to some of them lost their lands and their means of livelihood.

Speaking at the virtual meeting, Mr. Thomas Edor discussed on the concept of Land Grabbing and FCT development plan.       According to him, all land in the FCT belongs to the government and land grabbing can be legal and illegal. He said land issues in Abuja is quite different from land in other states, land grabbing not does exist in Abuja according to some school of thought he said, but it should be noted that for you to go about the issue of land you need to consider and study the land use acts, land tenure laws, the pre-colonial, colonial and the post colonial land laws. He cited some examples of land grabbing issues in Rivers State and Borno States.

AbdulAziz Nasiru, he is a Building technology expert. He discussed on agencies responsible for land related issues in FCT and proper ways to acquire land in the FCT. Abdulaziz said for an individual to acquire land there is need to follow all the stages stipulated by law and land layout.

At the moment there is issue of double allocations of land in the FCT.

It was a rewarding and educative moment as representatives of youths from these communities and resource persons discussed on various topics, the activity ended with question and answers.