The Development Sector Series

When I decided to dive into the Civil Society space in Nigeria head first, I searched to identify the stakeholder needs.?In 2017, following a long-term contract with an international nonprofit, I conducted pieces of training and produced content online to further provide support to startups, and emerging nonprofits, and social enterprises. Upon working with clients who are international NGOs and their partners, who are local nonprofit implementers, I realized that some of the local nonprofits are filled with passion, but lack the institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability. There is a disconnect between experts in the development sector, and those in the grassroots implementing numerous finite projects. As a result, I decided to create the platform “The Development Sector Series” #devsectorseries.??I consider myself a "connector" in the development sector to encourage knowledge sharing and collaborations to maximize social impact.

This idea came to mind during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The concept was developed while filling out an application to LinkedIn to live-stream on their platform.?To my pleasant surprise, I was approved 3 months later.?This was a result of my work at home, creating live content to support nonprofits and social enterprises who had to absorb the shock of shutting their doors while staying relevant.?

With a dim camera attached to my laptop and a decent internet connection, I got started.?I love development experts in Nigeria because they are extremely supportive of my zeal to impact the space.?From my training, virtual interviews, and pre-recorded conversations, they have made themselves available for knowledge sharing which provides a connection between Civil Society and the public.

For the last year, this platform has hosted various speakers which are as follows:

·???????Funke Baruwa, Program Officer, Gender, Racial and Ethnic Justice, Ford Foundation:?This was my first interview in #Devsectorseries conversation about NGO sustainability.?She had just begun her role as the Program Officer, Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice at Ford Foundation.?Funke is a development expert, who previously served as the Civil Society and Media representative for the USAID-Nigeria’s Peace Democracy and Governance.??From my initial conversation with her, she has emphasized the nonprofit organization’s need for sustainability to address “Donor Fatigue”.?

In the above interview, we discussed further addressing NGO sustainability and philanthropy’s role in the process.?She emphasized the importance of nonprofits creating programs and engaging donors in projects within the programs to ensure that the program continues after funding has been exhausted.?Funke also highlighted the importance of institutional strengthening of nonprofits to ensure they can absorb the shock of donor fatigue·???????

Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director, Spaces for Change:?This is another #devsectorseries guest who was invited based on the great response from our initial conversation.?In my research on the Closing of Civic Spaces in Nigeria on Google, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri’s articles local and international articles were on the first search page results.?We met briefly during my evaluation of the USAID-SACE project.?I flew to Lagos to meet her team to conduct a focus group discussion.???She is the Executive Director of Spaces for Change, a research, policy, and advocacy organization based in Lagos, Nigeria.?Spaces For Change is the foremost in providing advocacy support for equitable housing in Lagos state and the monitoring of the closing civic spaces.?They are also the convener of the Action Group to Free the Civic Space.?

In our conversation, Victoria discussed the current Civic Space in Nigeria resulting from Human Rights Defenders and Frontline organizations facing backlash from state actors.?She highlighted various policies developed in an attempt to stifle the civic space. Some of these pieces of legislation include the NGO bill, the Infectious diseases bill, the Corporate and Allied Matters Act Law of 2019, the social media bill, and others.

I invited Victoria for a second interview based on the great response from our initial discussion. As the administrator of the website, closingspaces.org, she discusses her organization's real-time coverage of the closing of civic spaces in West Africa as a whole and provided some scenarios which occurred in other countries.?She also emphasizes the global attack on the civic space and the importance of continued citizen engagement, and advocacy.

·???????Kunbi Wuroala, Ph.D.:?As my predecessor as the former Executive Director of Junior achievement Nigeria, Dr. Wuroala was able to spread the organization’s reach nationwide and implement financial education programs to public schools across Nigeria.?She served as the Executive Director for over 12 years which gave me big shoes to fill following her departure.?

Currently, Kunbi is the Director of Policy and Partnerships, Africa, The Bridge Academy.?She provides support to Governments and other stakeholders as they tackle the challenge of providing quality education in sub-Saharan Africa.?We discussed the education system in Nigeria and the role of government and civil society in enhancing education access and equity for all students.

Kingsley and Irene Bangwell, Co-Founders KNOSK Schools: This was an interview with an amazing couple who identified the void in Abuja's marginalized communities. Kingsley is the founder and Executive Director of Youngsters Foundation an organization that has built youth leaders over the past 2 decades. During the interview, Kingsley highlighted that in his years of building youth leaders, education is the missing piece in harnessing their potential. Irene developed the model as an experienced education and realized that in partnership with her husband, they can build and scale.

Their amazing story on the establishment of the N100 a day per student model to provide competitive programs for students in Kuje, FCT. Through this model, they have created awareness in the national and international community to raise funds to provide quality education. They have engaged multiple donors, embassies, and celebrities such as Ayo Mayokun in the drive to support students in marginalized communities. It was such a pleasure featuring them on the platform.

·???????Osayi Alile:?Osayi Alile is the CEO, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, (ACT-Foundation), an indigenous grant-making organization that provides support to nonprofit partners in the following thematic areas; Education, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Health, and Environment.?She is a passionate leader who connects the private and social sectors to maximize social impact.?

We discussed Private Sector Partnerships with the Civil Society to implement projects, that further enhance their corporate sustainability.?Her leadership during the initial outbreak of Covid-19, and her administrative expertise with CA-COVID, provide support in Nigeria's continuous efforts to contain the outbreak to date.?We discussed the private sector’s implementation and their engagement with government and civil society.

·???????Chima Nwankwo, Veteran Journalist:?Mr. Nwankwo was one of my NGO seminar participants who started a nonprofit to increase the awareness and capacity of investigative journalism.?Chima discussed the transition from the media's source of news from journalists to the public. The use of a smartphone can spread news coverage faster than any news outlet.

This was an interesting interview discussing with an established media practitioner; how they receive support from civil society as they experience judicial and physical harassment from state and non-state actors.?He mentions that Civil society should work closely with media practitioners so they can produce the much-needed content to hold the government accountable.

·???????Ene Ede, Gender Expert:?I met Madam Ene during my consultancy in the National Democratic Institute in her role as a Gender Advisor representing Search for Common Ground.?Madam Ene is a development and media expert with an emphasis on Gender Inclusion and mainstreaming in National development.?She provided the dismal position of Nigeria and other African countries in their role in Gender inclusion and provides recommendations for the path towards equity and inclusion.

???????Arch. Michael Onolememen, CON, Former Minister of Works:?This is one of the few members of the Executive Council with the background required to perform his role as minister.?The previous administration selected an Architect, and an infrastructure enthusiast to serve in the role of Minister of Works.?During this episode, Arch. Michael Onolememen discussed extensively the creative strategies they used to embark on numerous road projects around the country with a limited budget.?

He was also able to profer suggestions on how Africa can be ready for the African Continental Free trade agreement by building more infrastructure to further enhance the economy.

·???????Bunmi Akiyemiju, CEO Venture Garden Group:?During the Garden Social Ventures TRIAL Monitoring and Evaluation Software launch, I was intrigued by Bunmi’s keynote speech on the importance of technology in the social sector to further enable impact.?He is the CEO of Venture Garden Group, a venture capital firm that supports technology start-ups that range from education, aviation, to finance.?I needed to interview this fascinating person. With the help of his team, I was able to have an extensive discussion on Technology and its impact.?He spoke extensively on technology further providing the data required for organizations to make strategic decisions and provide value for money.?

Bunmi also highlighted discussing data collection, analysis, and aggregation from rural communities through a decentralized platform that provides further data accuracy and integrity.

·???????Jude Ilo, Country Representative, Open Society Initiative West Africa:?This interview was personal because I would normally engage Jude in discussing Civil Society projects and current events. In 2016, Jude lost his daughter Natasha Nkemdilim Ilo in an accident. In processing his grief, Jude wrote a series of poems and published the collection in a book called "Kasie, loss, love, and life". There was a launch event of the Natasha Ilo Foundation and “Kasie” which was successful featuring guest readers that include, Mr. Incredible, Kole Shettima, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, and many other friends, family, and well-wishers.

His book which I read in a few hours, transitioned my imagination into the pain of Jude’s heart and his hope for the future.?This inspired me to invite him to speak on the book, and his personal story, and how men deal with grief. In Jude's lifelong quest for social change in Nigeria, he was able to channel his grief in creative writing, immortalize his daughter, and honor family and country.

Alexandria Amamgbo, Alumni Relations Specialist, Tony Elumelu Foundation:?The Tony Elumelu Foundation has been known to provide support to entrepreneurs around Africa.?As a result, I reached out to the foundation to discuss their 2021 application process.?Alexandria was assigned to discuss the Tony Elumelu foundation’s impact on entrepreneurs around Africa, and the application process with the platforms. She discussed passionately their work with young entrepreneurs across Africa, and the successes of various Alumni of the program.

Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator, Ghana: Mr. Charles Abani is an advocacy juggernaut turned diplomat who has worked in various international organizations globally and is known for his leadership in the 5-year USAID-Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement Project implemented by Chemonics International. He has been extremely supportive of my quest for knowledge sharing in the development sector.

We discussed the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa's role in building consensus and leadership in the process. He has a unique perspective, especially civil society engagement with the UN in meeting sustainable development goals. They should take the lead in the implementation of the SDGs and engaging with the UN in the process. We had a robust discussion on the various challenges from economic development, education, security but provided opportunities to meet the SDGs in Africa.

·???????Hamzat Lawal, CEO Connected Development:?Hamzy is extremely passionate about the government allocation going to the targeted beneficiaries.?He is the co-founder and CEO of CEO Connected Development, an advocacy organization that provides the platform for citizen awareness of their fundamental human rights and exposes corruption.?He started as a young lad who was curious about the outcome of interventions resulting from led poisoning in Bagega, Zamfara state.?His Twitter campaign over 10 years ago, birthed the #followthemoney movement.

In this interview, he discussed their advocacy techniques in which Hamzat and his team can effectively engage with the government while becoming a platform for citizen engagement. The interview also covers every citizen's role in contributing to the economy from professional to the market woman. He emphasized that since we all contribute to the economy, it is our right to know where resources are allocated and demand accountability.

·???????Oluseun Onigbinde, Director, Co-Founder, Budgit:?Oluseun has been an advocate for Transparency and Accountability in Governance.?Budgit has been able to utilize the public access to the National budget, simplify the information through infographics that are easy to understand by the average citizen.?Seun has been supportive of my quest to maximize social impact through increasing the institutional capacity.?Budgit has become internationally recognized for its work on utilizing data for Advocacy.

Our conversation covers the use of data for advocacy and the importance of developing partnerships with other groups to ensure that their tools are used to ensure accountability. As a result of their advocacy, they are a resource to national and international stakeholders in providing accountability mechanisms.

Adaku Uche Ekpo: My dear friend and development practitioner who specializes in building the institutional capacity of nonprofits, grantmaking, and fundraising. She provided context on what donors are currently funding in tandem with her advice to nonprofits to stay true to their vision and identity. Ada also provided key nuggets to the audience on how nonprofits can position themselves to raise funds to maximize impact.

·???????Aliyu Aminu Ahmed, CEO, Monitoring and Evaluation Institute Abuja:?My conversation with a learned colleague who specializes in Monitoring and Evaluation.?Aliyu has worked with clients such as the World Bank, USAID, DFID, and many other development stakeholders.?He is also the pioneer of the Monitoring and Evaluation Association in Nigeria and a key proponent in utilized data and Artificial intelligence to maximize social impact.?His experience in consultancy spans over a decade.?In our conversation, he emphasized excellence in delivery to ensure repeat engagement with clients.?

·???????Akwasi Opong-Fosu, Policy Analyst, Former Minister, Republic of Ghana:?It was such an honor and privilege to interview Mr. Opong-Fosu, who is an avid fan of the #devsectorseries resulting from his passion for youth and their role in development in the African Continent.?He is an expert in local governance in Ghana and its societal impact and has received several awards for his work.?We further discussed Africa’s readiness for the Continental Free Trade Agreement.

·???????Ekaete Judith Umoh, President, Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities:?My first encounter with Ekaete was pleasant.?She has the strength of a lioness but the heart of a lamb.?She suffered polio as a child and transformed her pain into power!?With her strength, she has become a global advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities.?In the development sector, donors would not consider inclusion without Persons with Disabilities.?Before this new trend, Ekaete has been advocating for inclusion and equity.?

In our conversation on Devsectorseries, she discussed citizens' role in inclusion.?We discussed the importance of viewing Persons with Disabilities not from a charity-based intervention but from a rights-based framework.?

·???????Tayo Fatinikun, Executive Director, Life Helpers Initiative:?Due to the current unrest in Northern Nigeria, I wanted to have a conversation with a friend and advocate in Sokoto State.?Tayo Fatinikun, the Executive Director, Life Helpers Initiative an organization that focuses on Health, Nutrition, Education, and Advocacy programs.?

Tayo discussed on the platform the importance of innovation by the youth to develop the economy in Northern Nigeria.?With innovation and jobs, there would be less propensity to violence and extremism.

·???????Oare Ehiemua, CEO OPL Academy and Laborhack Limited:?Oare Ehiemua identified a need in the construction industry and founded 2 companies, OPL Academy, an organization that provides soft skills to artisans for them to be job-ready, Labor Hack Limited is a platform of artisans that are ready for recruitment by construction companies and individuals.?

She discussed the disparity in the education of artisans in Nigeria in comparison with other countries.?In addition, she mentions that artisans in Nigeria were passed up by competition from the Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo, and other African countries.?This resulted in their interventions in providing soft skills such as integrity, punctuality, transparency, and excellence with the artisans.

·???????Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa Initiative:??Samson Itodo is an organizer, democracy, and elections expert who is the convener of the #nottooyoungtorun movement.?He has been a supporter of my passion to empower organizations to maximize social impact.?Samson and I spoke to answer the question, “Are Credible Elections Attainable in Africa?”?He spoke about the role of the leaders in perpetuating the current disfunction in the electoral process. He also highlighted that Election management bodies in Africa require autonomy to independently function and provide free, fair, and credible elections.

• Crystal Chigbu, Executive Director, The IREDE foundation: TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 14th, 2021 at 12 noon, I'll be having a conversation with Crystal Chigbu, a passionate mother of a child amputee, Beula, whose heart reached hundreds of other children who face the same struggle. She founded The IREDE foundation, an organization that provides prosthetic limbs to child amputees and psychosocial support to thousands of families.

Crystal's story was featured on CNN's African Voices on how she has been able to fill this societal vacuum. We will discuss whether society is doing enough to support child amputees and their families.

In the future, more guests include the corporate sector and entertainment will participate and engage in a discussion on their role in international development.?We intend to engage the public in the robust civil society groups working hard to change the world.?Subsequently, we will be featuring guests from the corporate sector, government sector, the entertainment industry, and other stakeholders that would add value to the conversation based on how they use their current platform to impact international development.?

The discussions are live on the following social media platforms; LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.?Please follow the platform that works for you on Wednesdays and 12 noon.?Join me and let’s change the world together.