NGO strengthens community participation in delivery of UBE projects

From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

A non-governmental organisation, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), has mobilised community members and education stakeholders to strengthen community participation in the delivery of Universal Basic Education (UBE) projects in Kaduna State.
Its Acting Policy Advisor, Mr Adamu Nathaniel, said at the opening of a state Level Town Hall meeting in Kaduna, on the implementation of UBE intervention in the state, that community participation was key.
Nathaniel explained that CSACEFA had received top-up funds from the Macarthur Foundation to continue engaging education stakeholders in Lere, Jaba and Kaduna North Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the coalition would be mobilising communities to support the implementation of UBE projects and continue mentoring of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
“CSACEFA has been engaging the State Universal Basic Education Board since the inception of the Macarthur supported project in 2017 which ended in 2019.
“We have conducted meetings and built the capacity for SBMCs, community members, Civil Society Organisations and media.
“This extension will focus on increasing community voices to demand for education accountability towards reducing retail corruption at the community level and hold contractors and other duty bearers to account,” he said.
He said that the coalition had conducted community advocacy, mobilisation and sensitisation of UBEC intervention projects in Lere, Jaba and Kaduna North LGAs.
He explained that the town hall meeting was orgainsed to discuss the findings, provide platforms for communities’ duty bearers to discuss issues around the UBE project.