2 September 2008
interview
Lagos — Nigeria urgently needs national growth, but not quick fixes. There is a clamour for a reversal of the so-called resource curse, with oil revenue channeled into development projects across the country, especially at the grassroots.
This, analysts believe, will ensure equitable benefit of the dividends of democracy. Abimbola Akosile spoke with the Executive Director of Ajegunle Community Project (ACP), Alhaja Roli Raliat Daniju, in Lagos, on grassroots empowerment, among other related issues
How has the Ajegunle Community Project (ACP) fared this year? We have done a lot, firstly providing micro-credit and assisting grassroots women, which are yielding a lot of results. The women can now access loans, there is no default, and their businesses are booming.
We also undertook civic education for the women on participation in elections in Ajeromi Ifelodun and Amuwo Odofin Local Government Areas (LGAs). We stressed the issue of aspirants having and going by their manifestoes on what they want and what they plan for the people. ACP also hold bi-weekly fora where we interact with grassroots women on human rights and other issues.
Are the women in Ajegunle and environs now empowered adequately through ACP's efforts?
Ajegunle is a mini-Nigeria where all tribes are located and interact. What we are doing is just intervention. We have managed to reach a sizable population though. We are also working on skills acquisition. On gender-based violence and discrimination, we have established Help Agencies with Local Government officials, Police, hospitals and we get referrals.
Government needs to establish a micro-finance institution solely for women, just like the Grameen Bank for the poor by Professor Yunus of Bangladesh. Beneficiaries can help their families. Once you save a woman, you save a nation because women are the mothers of the nation. Government should also focus on women and children because they are the future of the nation.
Can you highlight and explain some of your organisation's activities in skills acquisition at the grassroots?
We taught the women on how to bake cake, prepare puff-puff, chin-chin, doughnuts. We also taught them on beads-making and hat-making for sale. We intend to operate skills acquisition programmes on a regular not the current periodic basis, when we get the necessary funding. We want a daily thing where women can come in and learn these skills on a daily basis.
You are based in Ajegunle, a Lagos grassroots community. From your observation and experience, which skill do you think will best suit the women in your area?
Honestly, making chin-chin, puff-puff and cakes for sale is the most beneficial skill for them (women). The issue of food is constant and the way to a man's heart is through the stomach. When there is income and food in the house, there will be less domestic violence.
Do you also empower men in the rural areas? If yes, how?
No, ACP is a women organisation, basically grassroots women and the girl-child.
What is the latest update on your Gender Based Violence (GBV) activities?
It is an ongoing process. We have a legal department that is working on gender based violence issues. A 7-year old girl was defiled and the case is in the court right now. We have a pro-bono lawyer in place. We address cases of wrongful dismissal and domestic violence. We also network with the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Lagos State, because we cannot do all this in isolation.
We collect cases of violence in all the 9 Police stations in Ajegunle and Apapa under Area B Command in Apapa. We even donated workstations (desks and chairs) to the 9 police stations and requested for women to man the gender based violence desks, so as to effectively handle anti-violence cases in our area.
Local Government elections are coming up in October in Lagos. As part of your organisation's activities, do you think the grassroots women in your area are adequately sensitised to participate actively and win elective positions during the coming elections?
We did our best. We had a programme with the grassroots women and the political aspirants. We hope to expand and extend the same gesture to other LGAs, with more funding. The awareness is being created through public discussions and speakers. It is a capital intensive project.
The issue of checking violence in the Secondary Schools through ACP's Anti-Violence clubs is a good initiative. What has been the response so far among the targetted schools and students?
The response from the schools is very encouraging. Teenage pregnancy has been reduced to the barest minimum. There are quality responses. The girls are now more assertive and there is peace in the schools, and reduced crime. In some schools, they gamble but our intervention has helped to check this considerably.
We have a manual on what the schools can use in their anti-violence activities. We have updated the manual and will distribute copies to the schools soon.
When we first started the anti-violence clubs, we heard evidence of rape, gambling, and robbery. The clubs engaged the students and activities like drama, plays, poems served as attraction for the students. The clubs became a household name.
To get feedback, we sent out questionnaires and got data assessment. The females are now more enlightened and assertive of their rights. Violence has been reduced drastically among students, especially in our area, Ajeromi and Amuwo Odofin LGAs. We are moving from the schools to other areas.
How do you handle violence and discrimination cases? Have you recorded any success in resolving any related case?
A woman was almost killed by the spouse. She came here and was accommodated for almost 10 months. The lady is a graduate journalist, married to a Primary 6 chemicals seller. The woman is HIV positive and it spread to the man.
The man was so annoyed and was abusing her. We had to go to the church where they married and we tried to settle the matter amicably. At the end they parted ways but no life was lost in the process. We are still in touch with the woman.
From your viewpoint, what do you think people in Ajegunle and environs need most for grassroots empowerment?
We need drinking water, a basic thing. There is no water here in Ajegunle. Electricity is also key, although the roads are bad too. But water provision is very important.
Are you actively involved in micro-credit activities in your area? Can you briefly explain, with statistics?
Yes to your first question. We gave out soft loans to 80 women and more are coming. Even women in purdah (veiled and kept at home) are coming out to trade and earn income.
The interest on the loan is minimal and the beneficiaries do not default. The funds were provided through a Department for International Development (DfID) of the United Kingdom and it is ongoing. We are trying to reach other donors so we can expand the scope.
What is your level of collaboration with other stakeholders, even outside the NGO/Civil Society sector?
We collaborate with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Alausa, Ikeja. We collaborate with the Women Law and Development Centre (WLDC), National Council for Women, Project Alert.
We are trying to establish a relationship with interested banks like Oceanic Bank plc. For others like Cadbury, they are ready to support our programmes. We even have individuals like the Local Government Chairmen of Ajeromi Ifeoldun and Amuwo Odofin collaborating with us.
To you, how can we achieve good governance in Nigeria, especially at the grassroots?
To achieve good governance in Nigeria, Local Government officials should be accountable and transparent in government. They should see themselves as servants with roles to play Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) should do proper monitoring evaluation of projects. We also need to form ourselves into groups, partnerships, and coalitions to fight for the common people.
Also basic infrastructure like water and light should be provided to make life easier for the people.
What is your viewpoint on the issues of transparency and accountability at every level of government in Nigeria?
Transparency and accountability should start from our homes. The reason we have societal problems is because we are not transparent ourselves. It should cut across all levels, from the family, to private sector and the pubic sector too. It should cut across board.
Local Governments share allocations without questions, which promote corruption. Even the Police's involved. There is not transparency and accountability in our society at large; everybody is waiting for their turn.
The drive (transparency and accountability) must start from the Local Governments, which are the nearest tiers to the people. If they are accountable, the problem will reduce drastically. We cannot all go to Abuja to table our problems.
We don't even know our elected Federal representatives and this is affecting the dividends of democracy.
The masses must be given feedback on their constituency activities.
Do you think this country can really achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on issues like water, education, health, environment e.t.c. before 2015?
It is possible, with commitment and sincerity. If the money is spent judiciously, we will achieve the MDGs, if the government is sensitive to the plight of the people.
However, looking at the current situation, 2015 may not be achievable but 2020 may be more realistic. There is unrest in the education and health sectors and these must be addressed.
On poverty alleviation, the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) is trying but women beneficiaries are not there. We want more women to benefit from their programmes.
How do you think Nigeria will be in five years' time?
The situation may be worse, unfortunately. The current administration is working at snail's speed. There is no light, food is expensive, nothing tangible has been achieved so far. We need divine intervention. Our President's described as 'Baba Go-Slow'. The situation is nothing to write home about.
The hope is that budget will be released faster. Unemployment is getting worse by the day. The picture gloomy. We want a government that can show result quickly. The Lagos State Government is trying and the same should be taken and adopted at the national level.
- Additional imputs were made by ACP's Programme Manager, Mrs. Olusola Akai, and Assistant Programme Officer, Mrs. Mubo Akosile.
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Micro credit is good but Nigeria needs to start rebuild their structural infrastructures; roads, bridges and our urban rural marketplaces. Nigeria need to spend at least 2 billion dollars a year in university system especially graduate studies in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Agricultural science, Business, such finance, Accounting, Economics. This is urgent more important than paying the politicians.
Nigeria is very rich that by we should have a functioning financial institutions responsible for administering financial products; such small business loans, Agricultural loans, student loans and etc.
Final Nigeria needs to implement TAX CODE and means to collect those taxes from President to Okada drivers.