POLITICS TODAY

A non-partisan, non-profit organisation made up of registered civil society organisations from the 19 Northern states has been inaugurated in Kano, to confront northern Nigeria’s development challenges and vigorous advocacy to achieve practical socio-economic change in the lives of the people in the region. The group is named Conference of Northern Civil Society Networks.

This was contained in a  media release made available to Politics Today by Ibrahim A. Waiya  of Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF), who is also the Chairman of the Conference.

The statement  noted that the group is made up of a forum of states based civil society organizations (CSOs) – coalitions/networks – operating in the Nineteen Northern states.

Waiya said the platform was initiated and birthed on 28th March, 2021 as “a regional network on non-governmental, non-partisan, not for profit, non-ethnic and non-religious organizations, with the sole objective of facilitating best practices of democracy, accountable governance and advocating for more development of Northern Nigeria and beyond through policy influencing, cooperation and team work.”.

He explained that the group brought together the various civil society networks operating in the Nineteen Northern States under a common umbrella, “with a clear focus of promoting synergy among different states-based networks, to collectively aid in achieving socio-economic, political, infrastructural and sustainable development in the region and Nigeria at large.”

Going further, he stated that other areas of the group spotlight include “advocacy for political accountability, campaigns against corruption, complimenting state actors efforts to address insecurity challenges and other socio-economic and leadership problems militating against the prospects of the region and the Country”.

The group, he said,  is also determined to support relevant state actors to provide sustainable solutions to all challenges of development in the region.

“The Network intends to bridge the communication gap among different civil society groups operating in different states of the region, to promote networking, information sharing and support one another in our various states for enhanced skills to demand for political accountability in leadership to mitigate the effects of development deficits and backwardness in some states of the North.

“This we believe can be achieved by giving due attention to some critical sectors of development, such as agriculture, education, and commerce among others.”

Waiya, in the statement,  revealed that the Network is also determined to establish partnership with relevant and willing development partners to “build capacities and engage local organizations and relevant structures to effectively and efficiently implement programmes, projects and activities to ensure that resources are judiciously utilized and channelled towards serving the needs of the citizens in the region.”

The group which emerged on the 28th of September, 2021, begun with the I inaugural meeting  of representatives from the 19 Northern States Civil Society Networks and Coalitions who are bonafide members of “Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks”. They  converged on Tahir Guest Palace Kano, met and officially inaugurated the Network, held discussions and set an agenda to kick start the activities of the Network.

A copy of the communique of the meeting,  made available to Politics Today, revealed that the following resolutions were made:

1. To support and complement one another in amplifying our voices to ensure an effective engagement on issues of Northern Nigerian development.
2. To create a synergy amongst CSOs in the North in the pursuit of common agenda for the development of the region and Nigeria at large, to ensure a better society for the Nigerian Citizens.
3. To build a strong platform of CSOs that could effectively engage all relevant state actors to address the challenges of maladministration, such as impunity,  corruption, embezzlement and misuse of public funds  and resources diversion in the Nineteen Northern states of the region and Nigeria at large.
4. To engage in research and documentation on projects, government programmes, policy and legislation as they affect the nineteen Northern States for possible engagement.
5. To create a platform that could serve as a think tank in collaboration with other willing individuals, institutions and bodies on policy and legislative advocacy to provide technical expertise and direction to complement states actors mandate in designing development agenda or programme for the region.

FULL TEXT OF THE MEDIA RELEASE

COMMUNIQUE AFTERTHE MEETING OF LEADERS OF THE 19 NORTHERN STATES CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS FOR THE FORMAL INAUGURATION OF CONFERENCE OF NORTHERN STATES CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS HELD ON 28TH SEPTEMBER 2021, AT TAHIR GUEST PALACE, KANO 

To All Media organizations

The Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks is a forum of states based civil society organizations (CSOs) – coalitions/networks – operating in the Nineteen Northern states of Nigeria. The platform was initiated and birthed on 28th March, 2021 as a regional network on non-governmental, non-partisan, not for profit, non-ethnic and non-religious organizations, with the sole objective of facilitating best practices of democracy, accountable governance and advocating for more development of Northern Nigeria and beyond through policy influencing, cooperation and team work.
The group brought together the various civil society networks operating in the Nineteen Northern States under a common umbrella, with a clear focus of promoting synergy among different states-based networks, to collectively aid in achieving socio-economic, political, infrastructural and sustainable development in the region and Nigeria at large.
Other areas of the group spotlight includes: advocacy for political accountability, campaigns against corruption, complimenting state actors efforts to address insecurity challenges and other socio-economic and leadership problems militating against the prospects of the region and the Country. The group is also determined to support relevant state actors to provide sustainable solutions to all challenges of development in the region.
The Network intends to bridge the communication gap among different civil society groups operating in different states of the region, to promote networking, information sharing and support one another in our various states for enhanced skills to demand for political accountability in leadership to mitigate the effects of development deficits and backwardness in some states of the North. This we believe can be achieved by giving due attention to some critical sectors of development, such as agriculture, education, and commerce among others.
The Network is also determined to establish partnership with relevant and willing development partners to build capacities and engage local organizations and relevant structures to effectively and efficiently implement programs, projects and activities to ensure that resources are judiciously utilized and channelled towards serving the needs of the citizens in the region.
On the 28th September, 2021, representatives from the 19 Northern States Civil Society Networks and Coalitions who are bonafide members of “Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks” converged at Tahir Guest Palace Kano metand officially inaugurated the Network, held discussions and set an agenda to kick start the activities of the Network.

Resolutions:

The Conference members unanimously agreed to work to achieve the following objectives amongst others:

To provide a platform for co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration among States based CSOs (Networks and Coalitions) in the Nineteen Northern States.
To support and complement one another in amplifying our voices to ensure an effective engagement on issues of Northern Nigerian development.
To create a synergy amongst CSOs in the North in the pursuit of common agenda for the development of the region and Nigeria at large, to ensure a better society for the Nigerian Citizens.
To build a strong platform of CSOs that could effectively engage all relevant state actors to address the challenges of maladministration, such as impunity,  corruption, embezzlement and misuse of public funds  and resources diversion in the Nineteen Northern states of the region and Nigeria at large.
To engage in research and documentation on projects, government programmes, policy and legislation as they affect the nineteen Northern States for possible engagement.
To create a platform that could serve as a think tank in collaboration with other willing individuals, institutions and bodies on policy and legislative advocacy to provide technical expertise and direction to complement states actors mandate in designing development agenda or programme for the region.

Similarly, the leadership for the Conference was elected, and the following persons emerged as the management team, and formally inaugurated to lead the Network:

Chairman: Ibrahim A. Waiya –KanoCivil Society Forum, Kano State
Vice Chairperson: ShimenengeKyaagba –BENGONET,Benue State
General Secretary: Amb. Ibrahim Yusuf – Associationof NGOs, Gombe State
Publicity Secretary: Hon (Dr) Usman Buhari – Coalition of NGOs, Kebbi State

Standing committees

Legal Committee: Barr. Mwalin  Naomi Abdu, Gombe State
Welfare Committee: Pastor Ade Bodunde, Kwara State
Finance Committee: Abdurrahman Abdullahi, Katsina State
Membership Committee: Comrade MusbahuBasirka, Jigawa State
Partnership Committee: Dr. Gimba Joseph, Taraba

Participants at the Meeting:
Jinjiri J. Garba, Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organizations
Hon. (Dr.) Usman Buhari Ali, Coalition of NGOs in Kebbi State
Pastor Ade Bodunde, Kwara NGOs
Titus Aloge, Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET)
Habila Muhammad Kudu, Network for Peace and Inclusive Development, Niger State
Bako Abdul Usman, Campaign for Democracy, Kaduna State
Adams Thomas, Youth Renaissances and Transparency Initiative
Mrs. Shimenenge Esther Kyaagba, Benue NGOs Network(BENGONET)
Seer Daniel – New Fellowship new Africa Initiative, Benue State
Abdulrahman Abdullahi, Coalition of CSOs in Katsina State
Dr. Joseph Gimba, Coalition of CSOs in Taraba, Taraba State
Barr. Mwalin Naomi Abdu, Advocacy Centre for Development, Gombe State
Obadia Joseph Anji, Nassarawa NGOs Network (NANGONET),NassarawaState
Muhammad Musbahu Basrika, Jigawa Civil Society Forum, Jigawa State
Emmanuel Bonet, Concerned Civil Society, Kaduna State
Ibrahim A. Waiya, Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF)
Ibrahim  Abdullahi Shuni (Virtual), Coalitions of NGOs, Sokoto State
Mr. Hassan Tijani Hassan, Kano Civil Society Forum.

Signed:

Ibrahim A. Waiya, Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF)
Chairman, Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks.