Newsletter

Quarterly OST Newsletter June 2009

Dear Friends of OST,

Welcome to the first issue of the OST quarterly newsletter. We look forward to sharing information on our programmes and activities with friends like you!
Our flagship project, Making Local Governance Work for the Poor, was launched with generous core funding from the Ford Foundation. The project, which combines research and advocacy is intended to document current good local government practice, identify governance challenges at the local level and disseminate these in a Local Government Good Practice Study. The outcome of the study will be used to inform institutional policy development on local governance strategies in Nigeria.

As part of preparations for the project, we conducted a pretest of research tools in Ibadan North and Ido local government areas of Oyo state in March 2009. This involved conducting interviews and focus group discussions in local communities and local government officials.

In the lead up to the research phase, we held a press conference at our office at The Elias Centre, 4A Ademola Street, Ikoyi, Lagos on 2 April to create awareness of the project and initiate a conversation on local governance in Nigeria.

The national survey kicked off the research phase of the project in selected local government areas in: Abuja, Bauchi, Borno, Delta, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Ondo, Plateau and Sokoto. The survey covered 5% of Nigeria’s 774 local governments and approximately 4,000 respondents which included senior local government officials, community leaders and members of community based organisations. The overall response was quite positive despite the challenges. The survey, which commenced on 14th of April concluded on 29th of April. Results of the survey are currently being compiled and will be finalised in November. A preliminary report on the survey will be discussed in a stakeholder forum scheduled for December 2009.

Following the completion of the survey, planning for our advocacy campaign has begun in earnest. The advocacy campaign is focused on civic education to stimulate civic participation in local governance, especially as a recurring theme during the survey was the lack of information available to the public on local governance issues. We are working to develop effective advocacy strategies which will include the use of online and traditional media including print, film, radio and television. We hope that our advocacy will motivate civic action which will in turn strengthen local governance.

We continue to develop other projects directed at creating a public trust and which work for the common good and we will share our progress with you through our newsletter as we go along.

We hope that as a friend of OST, we can rely on your support!

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The Orderly Society Trust (OST) was established to nurture and support institutions, ideas, values, practices and conventions which support ‘order’ in society.OST seeks to assist in overcoming the challenges of creating an orderly society by promoting initiatives which support the rule of law, transparency and accountability and the dissemination of ethics of integrity, patriotism, respect for civic obligation and etiquette.

OST
June 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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