••Community projects, social interventions, business and agricultural supports prioritized
Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s commitment towards participatory governance has never been in doubt. His uncommon concern for community development is unparalleled. This underscored the appointment of a seasoned and astute community development practitioner, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, as His Senior Special Assistant on Community Development in December 2023.
In line with the community development agenda of the governor, the Senior Special Assistant on Community Development (SSACD) is mandated to, among other objectives, assist the governor in fostering community-government relations through community engagement, identification and coordination of community development activities and projects as well as rallying community-based organizations’ (CBOs) support for developmental initiatives of the government.
Thus, as a fulcrum of developmental agenda at the grassroots, CBOs across the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) were repositioned and more recognized by the present administration as critical stakeholders in achieving a participatory decision-making process.
Kwara State is now reputed for having community engagements with stakeholders where mutually-beneficial decisions on governance issues are taking ‘with’ and not ‘for’ the Kwara CBOs. This has led to rapid socioeconomic development being witnessed in urban and rural areas of the state.
Considering the centrality of community development to Governor AbdulRazaq-led administration, it is, therefore, imperative to review the activities of the office in the year 2024, highlighting the significant impact of government’s interventions, projects and programs in key thematic areas including human capital development, community engagement, social infrastructure development, palliative items and cash reliefs, business and agricultural supports as well as media campaigns on Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD Series). Each of the areas is discussed in turn.
1. Human capital development: In its quest to empower both civil and public servants, the office organized a workshop for the Development officers across all the sixteen local government areas and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development in February.
Similarly, in a bid to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, Governor Abdulrazaq tasked the office in May to train the 16 Local Government Area Development Officers (LGA-DOs) on community development strategies, process and implementation.
Furthermore, between April and July, more than two hundred (200) Kwara youths, selected across the one hundred and ninety-three (193) Wards, were trained on public infrastructure maintenance and repair under the Kwara Training, Empowerment and Community Ownership (KWATRECO) Scheme.
2. Community engagement: Giving the pivotal role of CBOs as critical stakeholders in governance process, Governor AbdulRazaq, in August, convened serialized Kwara State Community-Bazed Organizations’ Summit held in the three senatorial districts: Bode-Sadu (Kwara North); Ajase-Ipo (Kwara South); and Ilorin (Kwara Central). The summit fostered deliberation on his administration socioeconomic policy and programs. The government also trained communities’ leadership on community development principles and strategies, with over nine hundred (900) CBOs representatives in attendance. Interactive sessions on government’s projects and programs were held while the CBOs made a number of recommendations to the government such as recruitment of teachers and healthcare providers for rural areas, increased funding for community-led projects, provision of grant, palliative items, and other support to businesses and the vulnerable, payment of cash relief to the deserving members, involvement of CBOs in governance process, among others.
Following the summit, a number of projects and programs were community-led including the distribution of the assorted fertilizer by the Federal Government as well as the construction of 40 motorized boreholes and smart toilets.
3. Social infrastructure development: As part of the Kwara CBOs’ recommendations at the summit, Governor AbdulRazaq, in August, approved the construction of forty (40) motorized boreholes and smart toilets across rural communities in the State. The projects are at various levels of completion. The communities included: Makebe (Asa), Idiose-Aribidesi (Ilorin South) Kulende (Ilorin South), Apado (Ilorin East), Okesuna (Ilorin East), Idi-ogede (Ilorin West), Pakata (Ilorin West), Budo-Nla (Moro), Alagogoweru (Moro), Balogun (Moro), Gaa-Mudi (Baruten), Taiwo (Edu), Aboki (Kaiama), and Rokogi (Patigi). Others were: Osunte (Offa), Ganmo (Ifelodun), Labaka (Ifelodun), Oke-Oyi Isin (Isin), Iloffa (Oke-Ero), Idofin-Igbanna (Oke-Ero), Etan (Ekiti), Onisapa (Oyun), and Areyi (Irepodun). The projects were jointly implemented by the Kwara State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (KWARUWASA) and the Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWCSDA).
The administration, which had been demonstrating strong commitment towards equitable distribution of infrastructural development in both urban and rural areas based on available resources, through the office, also distributed sixty (60) units of solar-powered streetlights different communities including Oko-Erin, Pakata, Jidda Area as well as Ajagbe, Kogba and Budo-Are villages in January.
4. Palliative items and cash relief: To further deepen its community engagements with the CBOs, particularly in reaching out to the deserving members at the grassroots, the government, on several occasions, had mandated the office to identify and coordinate palliative items and cash relief. The following instances suffice: (i) distribution of 10,000 bags of 10kg rice in 400 communities in February; (ii) distribution of 18,000 bags of 50kg Maize, Sorghum and Millet to over 9300 households May; (iii) distribution of 42,000 bags of 10kg Rice in September; (iv) coordination and Distribution of 2,405 of BOI-donated food boxes in the month of September; (v) facilitation of the sum of N20,000 state government grant for 2,480 community members between the months of September and October; and (vi) distribution of 2,500 bags of 10kg Rice to members of CBOs across the 16 LGAs in December.
5. Business and agricultural supports: As the effective platforms through which government’s interventions and support can reach the targeted farmers and petty traders in the state, the government, through the CBOs and other stakeholders, distributed the 42,000 bags of NPK and UREA Fertilizer donated by the Federal Government to farmers across the 16 LGAs between the months of September and October. Similarly, the office coordinated the sum of N50, 000 BOI facilitated NANO grants for 4,203 Kwarans in the month of October. The capturing of the beneficiaries by the BOI is still in progress.
6. Media campaign: The office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications as well as the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Communications did a media campaign on available assets, including tourist attractions, mineral resources and agricultural produce in Kwara communities. Tagged Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Series, different online platforms including Facebook, X, Whatsapp, and Instagram were used for the campaign between the months of July and August.
Without mincing words, it has now been established that with the involvement of stakeholders through community engagement, the government has delivered not only people-oriented projects, but also ensured that every Kwaran matters in decision-making process. As we approach another year, it is obvious that Governor AbdulRazaq would continue to prioritize the wellbeing of the people as the Kwara CBOs become institutionalized for better efficiency and sustainable development. For the record, plans are on top gear for the development of the Kwara State community development policy and legal framework aimed at repositioning CBOs for all-inclusive and participatory governance. Similarly, community development projects and social interventions would continue to be implemented by the government in collaboration with various developmental platforms and organizations across the state in the year 2025.
Dr Abdulrasheed Saadudeen, a development enthusiast, writes from Ilorin, Kwara State.
