Program development and coordination in Nigeria

Background information

Nigeria faces a range of sociopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. Local populations in northeastern and central Nigeria suffer from the ongoing Boko Haram crisis, violent conflict, corruption and nepotism, a weak economy, widespread poverty, the negative effects of climate change, and unsustainable use of natural resources. The security situation and the provision of services to the population are precarious. Together with its partner organizations, Mission 21 carries out projects in development cooperation, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding. The aim of the projects is to contribute to the sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the local population. For effective work, the projects and organizations must be networked and coordinated. For this reason, Mission 21 supports its partners in measuring the impact and further developing the projects on site. In addition, Mission 21 ensures a holistic program approach in Nigeria, which aligns the various projects with the sustainable development goals of the UN and ensures their coordination. Since 2015, Dr. Yakubu Joseph has been acting as the on-site coordinator. He is the interface between the partners in Nigeria and Mission 21 in Basel. Thanks to the coordination, the projects can be followed closely and the exchange with Mission 21 in Basel is guaranteed.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to coordinate and steer the projects that are being implemented in Northeast and Central Nigeria. The assignment of a country coordinator improves the exchange between Mission 21 in Basel and the various partners, as well as other relevant actors on the ground. This makes the flow of communication and program management more efficient, and Mission 21 can respond more specifically to local needs and network different actors within the project area.

Target groups

The target group of the project consists of seven partner organizations and their project staff, with whom Mission 21 cooperates through the coordination office in Abuja. Additional target groups are other partner organizations of Mission 21 in Africa, to whom thematic advice on the topics of peacebuilding as well as humanitarian aid is open.

Activities

• Support of project managers in project management (planning, implementation, risk management, reporting, evaluation)
• Monitoring of the implemented projects
• Coordination of further training offers of the partners
• Recruitment and management of employees of the coordination office
• Networking and public relations, international fundraising
• Consultancy work on peacebuilding and humanitarian aid for other Mission 21 partners in Africa.

Project progress

With the help of the coordination office of Mission 21 in Nigeria, the various projects can be realized professionally and sustainably. Especially in the dynamic project region, it is important to be able to react jointly and flexibly to new challenges. The program development and coordination helps to align the projects with the sustainable development goals of the UN, to better monitor changes in the situation in Nigeria and to support the partners in responding to them through their project work. The annual project reporting workshops also ensure that the reporting process runs smoothly. At the same time, partners benefit from training on project cycle management during the workshops.