EKPOMA – A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF), has intensified efforts to strengthen grassroots development and participatory governance in Edo State through a special training programme for community members across selected local government areas.
The initiative, carried out under the Enhancing Citizen Engagement in Governance Across Selected Local Government Areas in Edo State (E-CEGALE) Project, is designed to promote accountability, transparency and active citizen participation in governance at the grassroots.
As part of the intervention, the foundation also unveiled branded Community Suggestion Boxes across six key local government areas in the state, creating a barrier-free platform through which residents can directly communicate their concerns, development priorities and feedback to relevant authorities.
The project, which seeks to bridge the communication gap between government and citizens, is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Speaking during the training and presentation of the suggestion boxes in Ubiaja, headquarters of Esan South East Local Government Area, the Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation and Project Lead of the E-CEGALE Project, Dr. Jude Obasanmi, said the initiative was aimed at encouraging citizens to take an active role in co-governance at the local level.
Obasanmi explained that through the training of Community Governance Committees and the deployment of suggestion boxes, communities now have a direct and structured channel to share concerns, provide feedback and communicate development needs to local authorities without bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He noted that the mechanism would also enable government at the grassroots to better understand the priorities of the people and respond more effectively to their needs.
In one of the training sessions held in Benin City, Peter Nwadishi of the Koyenum Immalah Foundation emphasised the critical role of community participation in achieving sustainable development.
According to him, initiatives that empower citizens to express their views and contribute ideas to governance processes help ensure that development policies reflect the true needs and aspirations of the people.
“By supporting citizens to express their concerns and ideas through this initiative, we are ensuring that development priorities truly reflect the voices and needs of the people at the grassroots level,” he said.
Similarly, during another E-CEGALE training session for Community Governance Committee members in Auchi, Edo North, the Lead of the Initiative for Gender Equality and Advancement (IGEA), Comrade Annestina Umoru, stressed that inclusive citizen engagement was essential for strengthening democratic governance.
Umoru said empowering ordinary citizens to find their voice was crucial to ensuring that leadership remains accountable to the public.
She added that the introduction of Community Suggestion Boxes provides a secure and accessible platform for women, youths and other marginalised groups to communicate directly with government authorities.
According to her, prioritising the voices of often unheard groups would make development planning more responsive to the real needs of communities, particularly during the preparation of local government budgets.
To strengthen the effectiveness of the feedback mechanism, the project organised intensive training for 60 Community Governance Committee (CGC) members drawn from the participating local government areas.
Ten representatives were selected from each of the six LGAs involved in the project—Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Esan West, Esan South East, Etsako West and Owan West.
The training sessions brought together persons with disabilities, community residents and representatives of the respective local government councils, equipping them with skills to monitor community feedback and properly document citizens’ concerns.
Through the initiative, the project aims to ensure that the voices of all citizens, particularly those from marginalised groups are accurately captured and effectively channelled to the appropriate decision-makers for responsive governance at the grassroots.
