Accountability: LEADS-Nigeria Exposes Locals To MacArthur Supported School Projects In Kaduna

LANW/LEADS-Nigeria, MacArthur Foundation, UBEC/SUBEB

As one of the key civil society groups monitoring MacArthur Foundation supported universal basic education projects in Kaduna state, Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women LANW/LEADS Nigeria, on Tuesday exposed local residents to ongoing school projects around them.

The exposure of 130 head teachers, community and youths leaders, school based-management committee (SBMC) chairmen and women leaders from 26 schools in Chikun local government area of Kaduna state, was part of the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Nigeria’s Education Sector (STATNES) project aimed at tracking 120 schools each year under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Projects in Nigeria.

The Programme Officer, Michael Aboh, told newsmen that, the sensitization of local residents became necessary to check allocation, utilization and monitoring of UBEC projects in the selected local government areas in the state.

According to Aboh, “when local residents are sensitized to know and understand ongoing projects within their reach, it add value to monitoring and tracking efforts by interest groups of such projects.

“The advantages of these are many. But we at LANW/LEADS-Nigeria are looking at it from accountability and minimising corrupt tendencies associated with public projects so that qualitative education is available to our children especially at the basic level where the project covers.”

Earlier, Deputy Director, LANW/LEADS-Nigeria, Hannatu Ahuwan said, her organisation was passionate about local residents taking ownership of public facilities in their domain, hence, the continuous training of stakeholders in that regard.

She said, “the sensitization is for the communities in Chikun to be able to identified and understand the projects in their areas and when these are taking, they will be able to monitor utilization of the funds and engage the state government leveraging on open government partnership (OGP) using eyes and ear online application.

“LEADS is one of the CS MacArthur Foundation is using to track the flow of the resources to ensure that the funds are used for the purpose of which they were released,. We are in Chikun, Kaura and Soba local government areas of Kaduna state but this particular meeting is for Chikun,” she clarified.

In a remark, Head, Social Mobilization, Chikun local government, Andrew Dogo, commended the organisers of the event, quickly requested for the capacity building training for social mobilisers in his local government. 

Sola Ojo sent in this report