The European Union (EU) has revealed that it will be terminating its five-year Agents for Citizen-Driven Transformation (ACT) programme in Nigeria. The programme was designed to increase the capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country and will officially come to an end on April 14. The National Programme Manager for ACT, Mr Damilare Babalola, made the announcement at a brief event that took place in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Babalola stated that the end of the programme would also mean an end to the 21 CSOs that are based in Rivers. The ACT programme was funded by the EU with a budget of 13.1 million euros, and executed by the British Council across 10 states in Nigeria. The programme was present in all 36 states of the federation.
The objective of the programme was to assist CSOs in becoming more credible, accountable, and effective agents of change in Nigeria. The implementation of the programme was focused on providing capacity-building skills to CSOs, referred to as capacity development support, to enhance their effectiveness. The programme also aimed to evaluate the regulatory environment for CSOs and promote strategic coordination among them and other key stakeholders in terms of collaboration. It advocated for appropriate legislation and regulations that would help in the implementation of sustainable development in the country.
Babalola identified the 10 states that benefited from the programme as Adamawa, Borno, Edo, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The programme started in 2019 and will officially conclude on April 14, marking the end of five years of active implementation in the country.
ACT Rivers Focal Person, Mr Temple Oraeki, emphasized the importance of CSOs collaborating with the state government and international donor agencies to advance their programmes and projects within the communities. In his remarks, he stated that the 21 CSOs, comprising of eight community-based organisations and three network coalitions in Rivers, now serve as ambassadors, equipped to make a positive impact on society.
The programme manager noted that 273 CSOs benefitted from the programme across the country, with 233 CSOs receiving capacity-building training and 40 others trained to enhance regulatory conditions. Babalola expressed confidence that in spite of ACT’s departure from the country, civil society groups have gained sufficient capacity to effectively carry out their responsibilities in their respective focus areas within the communities.
Governor Siminialayi Fubara of Rivers expressed the state’s readiness to engage with CSOs to implement government policies and programmes in the various communities where they operate. He lauded the EU and British Council for their interventions in the state and across Nigeria. He noted that CSOs must align with the state government’s policies to drive positive change in the communities. He urged civil society groups to adhere to proper regulations to enable the government to identify with them for sustainable development.
