Day 1

Highlights

Registration of Attendees

Welcome:  Nkem Akinsoto, Managing Trustee of SI4DEV welcomes participants to the Summit.
Day 1 Opening plenary: Ifeoma Malo, CEO of Clean Tech Foundation speaks on how Nigerians are known for their resilience and hard work but the socio-political and economic environment makes it difficult for them to thrive and innovate. The endemic poverty in many parts of the country and struggles with basic needs from food, energy to healthcare and access to education means that millions continue to suffer – while waiting for a largely absent government to resolve issues. This is why it has become imperative for communities to form social structures to own these problems and design solutions best suited to address and to take responsibility for the solutions needed to lift people out of poverty.
Morning Breakout – Session 1: Sustainable Development Goals: Energy Efficiency as a Business Model
The quickest way to build resilience and sustainability is for local community actors in Nigeria to have developments of various sorts led or driven by members of the community which it affects. This panel included Ifeoma Malo, Emeka Nelson, Adedotun Eyinade, and Chris Nwachukwu. Participants discussed how they can raise funding and execute chosen energy efficiency projects, and monitor the provision of services that result from these actions. The goal is to be able to replicating and upscale these projects and ensure that they are serving the most immediate and medium term needs of the communities in question.
Morning Breakout – Session 2: Governance and Accountability: Coming to a Project near You
Akin Akinsoto, IT Specialist and SI4DEV Trustee led a workshop which described governance as a process of ensuring that the right decisions are made and carried out. The right decision is one that furthers the organization, and ‘Decision’ implies choice from several alternatives. Accountability is a feature of governance, and a condition where individuals or organizations are expected to explain or justify their actions. It exists when each person in an organization: knows which tasks they are responsible for executing, knows how and when they are expected to execute these tasks, and is prepared to give an account of the success or failure of these tasks.
Morning Breakout – Session 3: Grants and Proposal Writing: Strengthening Relationships with Donors and Partners
Moderated by Nkem Akinsoto, and featuring Ifeanyi Nsofor CEO EpiAfric and Ayodele Olofintuade, philanthropist, publisher and feminist writer, this panel discussed features of good grant proposals and strategies to engage and retain donors and partners, especially as it relates to community-led development.
Morning Breakout – Session 4: Crowdfunding – Online and offline strategies to engage the community for resourcing.
Samirah Bello of Thrive Agric and Chinyere Obi-Obasi were on a panel that explored social media strategies for raising funds and engaging members of the community.
Facilitators of the panels and workshops helmed One-on-one clinics with summit attendees on their topics and also on project lifecycle: development, planning and implementation.

Best Practice Showcase 1 – Kaduna Happy Learners Project
John Temitope Eperetun and Sam Yumar presented on this project. Aims and Objectives:
• To introduce to the kids the Sustainable Development Goals through hand wash on health matters.
• To create awareness about diseases which can be contracted through bad hygiene practices.
• To make Learning fun aimed at supporting children’s school attendance.
• To sensitize kids on the importance of Hand washing and water hygiene as a measure for better health.
• To create a safer and healthier environment in schools for the children and others
Afternoon Breakout – Session 1: Project Development and Implementation: Problem Solving Day to Day Issues
Babatunde Ibikunle, SI4DEV Partner and Logistics Manager led this workshop using the SI4DEV Kano Nasarrawa location group as a case study. He explained how Project planning:
1. identifies specific community problems that stand in the way of meeting community goals.
2. creates a work plan for addressing problems and attaining the goals.
3. describes measurable beneficial impacts to the community that result from the project’s implementation.
4. determines the level of resources or funding necessary to implement the project
Afternoon Breakout – Session 2: Sustainable Development Goals: Which Goals Should We Prioritize?
Community Driven Development can be supported and strengthened through empowering local community groups and actors to take on the task of organizing for action and execution. It also provides opportunities to facilitate community access to information, and promote an enabling environment through policy and institutional reforms by working with local authorities and influencers in order to lead to community-led development. This panel with Kate Maduekwe, Damilola Grillo, Morolake Odetoyinbo, and moderated by Ifeoma Malo discussed way forward on the various SDGs and the consensus was that top priority goes to education projects.
Afternoon Breakout – Session 3: Participatory Democracy: Strategies to Advocate for your Community
Jide Akinsoto, USA certified grant writer community leader in Festac Lagos State, led a workshop on how to engage the government in community projects. The small circle shared stories of activities at the grassroots level, security challenges and how to remain safe while working on projects at the local government level.
Afternoon Breakout – Session 4: Designing a Pilot Project – Strategies to keep the Budget Small but Relevant
Ayodele Olofintuade moderated a panel with Okechukwu Ofili, CEO of Okadabooks and Felix Abrahams Obi, Grant maker, Public Health, Health Systems and Research Expert. They fielded questions in a Q&A fashion from the summit attendees on bootstrapping your project, how to raise funds like a ninja, okadarider, a community builder, and ways to collaborate with the corporate sector in order to keep your idea relevant.

 

Day 2

Highlights

Day 2 Morning Plenary: Project Planning: Starting with the Community in the Driving Seat
Grace Jimbo, SI4DEV Partner and Health Programs Manager led this workshop with the SI4DEV Uyo Project as a Case Study. She described Community driven development as an approach that works to improve and empower communities to take control in their development.
• This is a process where community members come to together to identify problem, select, generate solution collectively and take lead in addressing a local need.
• The essence of a community development project is to improve the quality of life of community members, enhance local capacity and achieve self-reliance as a community.
Morning Breakout – Session 1: Storytelling – Amplifying your Voice for Greater impact – websites, social media, etc.
This panel was helmed by Dr. Kate Maduekwe and included Habiba Ali, CEO of Sosai Energy Resources and Kingsley Bangwell, Executive Director of Youngstars Foundation, a youth development organization. They utilized a story-telling approach to illustrate the best methods of bringing partners and donors to your project.
Morning Breakout – Session 2: Volunteer and Community Mobilization: When Expectations Meet Reality
Amanda Obidike, SI4DEV Fellow and versatile nonprofit volunteer manned this workshop which detailed avenues to raise and retain volunteers for your community-led development project. Volunteer mobilization is the process of engaging members of the communities itself to participate in identifying community priorities, resources, needs and solutions in such a way as to achieve Sustainable Development.
Morning Breakout – Session 3: The Volunteer as a Community Leader: A Double Perspective
Selected Partners and location group managers – Bem Timothy (Benue Makurdi), Austin Otuji (Rivers PH), Monisola Aiyekushin (Bayelsa Yenagoa), Elias Unekwu (Kogi Lokoja) and Roberts Ukaigwe (Kaduna Kaduna, among others, shared their experiences as part of the SI4DEV Partners Training Program. The micro-projects discussed included advocacy campaigns, vocational training, voter education, handwashing promotions, up-skilling civil society groups and humanitarian outreach.
Best Practice Showcase 2 – Igbo Translation of the Nigerian Constitution
Ezinma Ukairo, honorary SI4DEV Partner, brought in a local language angle as she discussed this showcase. The following parts of the constitution were translated through the effort of her team in Enugu.
• Chapter 1 of the CFRN establishes the supremacy of the constitution; identifies the component units of the federation and lays down the powers of the various arms of government.
• Chapter 2 lays down the Fundamental Objectives and Directives of State Policy.
• Chapter 3 provides for citizenship, the process of its acquisition, renunciation and denouncement.
• Chapter 4 provides for the Fundamental Rights and liberties of the Citizens.
• Schedule 4 of the CFRN provides for Functions of a Local Government.
• Schedule 5 of the CFRN provides for Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
Mentoring Roundtables
Habiba Ali and other facilitators mentored summit participants and answered questions they had around various issues that plague community leaders in trying to carry out projects at the grassroots level.

  • Afternoon Events
    Gift Presentation by the 2018 Class of the SI4DEV Partners to the Program Manager – Nkem Akinsoto
    Location Groups (Ika, Akwa Ibom and Lokoja, Kogi) present outcomes of community development efforts
    Cutting of the One Year Anniversary Cake
    Award of Recognition to Speakers and Panelists
    Leadership and Excellence Awards to outstanding Teams and Partners
    Graduation and Presentation of Medals

 

Day 3

Highlights

Master Class and Q&A with 2018 Cohort

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