Program development and coordination in Nigeria

Background information

Nigeria faces a range of socio-political, economic and environmental challenges. The local population in north-eastern and central Nigeria suffers from the ongoing Boko Haram crisis, violent conflicts, corruption and nepotism, a weak economy, widespread poverty, the negative effects of climate change and the unfavorable use of natural resources. The security situation and the provision of supplies 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 a sustainable improvement in the living conditions of the local population. To work effectively, the projects and organizations must be networked and coordinated. For this reason, Mission 21 supports its partner organizations in measuring the impact and further developing the projects on the ground. In addition, Mission 21 ensures a holistic program approach in Nigeria, which aligns the various projects with the UN's sustainable development goals and guarantees their coordination.

Dr. Yakubu Joseph has been the local coordinator since 2015. He is the interface between the partner organizations in Nigeria and Mission 21 in Basel. Thanks to this coordination, the projects can be closely monitored and the exchange with Mission 21 in Basel is guaranteed.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to coordinate and manage the projects being implemented in north-eastern and central Nigeria. The deployment of country coordinators improves the exchange between Mission 21 in Basel and the various partner organizations, 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 various 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 courses offered by partner organizations
• Recruitment and management of employees of the coordination office
• Networking and public relations
• International fundraising
• Consultancy work on peacebuilding, emergency aid and reconstruction for other Mission 21 partner organizations 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.