The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded grants of between 100,000 and 200,000 euros to 15 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and some volunteer groups under three grant platforms to mobilize young people in Nigeria.
The grants were to enable young people to use their skills / talents, build the capacity of CSOs representing rights holder groups and enable them to improve their access to resources and employment.
Project coordinator, Voice Nigeria, Ijeoma Okwor, said this during a media engagement workshop organized to officially kick off the start of the extension phase of the Voice program in Nigeria and aboard the first phase of beneficiaries. as part of the extension phase, Tuesday, in Abuja.
Okwor said the workshop was organized to provide information on Voice program interventions over the past five years and also promote program transparency and accountability by providing information on the process for awarding phase d. ‘Voice extension.
According to her, the projects implemented within the framework of the consortium, Oxfam and Hivos, have had an impact on the lives of Nigerians over the past five years through grants to NGOs for various projects affecting young people, people with disabilities, women and other vulnerable Nigerians.
Voice is implemented in 10 countries and Nigeria. Since 2017 we have been providing scholarships in Nigeria and this year we are awarding 15 scholarships ranging from 100,000 Euro to 200,000 Euro and above.
“For example, in the ‘influencer grant’ we have eight grantees, including YIAGA Africa, Connected Development, Street Project Foundation, Center for Citizens with Disability, Network of Youths for Sustainable Development, Center for Ability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment, among others. .
“Under ‘Sudden Opportunity’ we have six beneficiaries, among which you have Integrity Technology, among others; we also have the “innovate and learn” grant.
She further explained that funding for CSOs and NGOs was declining as many donors were concerned about Nigeria and how NGOs are using money intended for projects.
“Let’s be transparent and accountable in the way we do things. Let’s coordinate better and build on what others have done, so as not to duplicate interventions.
“We should partner up, because I see the area as a kind of fellowship, where you learn from each other and share everything you have; in order to maximize the impacts already achieved in the country.
“At Voice Nigeria there is room for everyone if we all do little to be more inclusive. Let us make sure that in our work no one is left behind.
“Indeed, all the efforts of the government, the development sector and the private sector, can only be effective if the beneficiaries of our intervention are involved in all our processes,” she added.
Mr. Francis Enobere, Controller, Correctional Center, congratulated the organization for the good work done, saying that correctional centers in Nigeria had benefited from a number of projects implemented by the team.
“I appreciate the good work done by the Voice team, a gender sensitive manual was developed sometimes and is now an integral part of our operational training code, we were able to fill the gaps in the treatment of women in our centers.
“There is a project that we are looking to implement. Hopefully this will be implemented in our centers, if our dreams come true the inmates could practice their franchise hopefully before 2023.
“Young people can now express their grievances in a constructive and positive way, while also showing their capacity to lead tomorrow,” he added.
In Nigeria, Oxfam, a member of the consortium, works to influence policy change in favor of the poor and the most vulnerable. We also work to boost civic engagement by providing citizen engagement platforms to make policy making more transparent and inclusive.
We are also responding to the humanitarian needs of the people of northeastern Nigeria, where the insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many more.
NAN