September 13, 2018 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja
(Protocols)
It is indeed my pleasure to be here on the last day of this Annual Learning Summit that commenced on Tuesday. I am aware that the Mission Director of USAID, Mr. Stephen Haykin was with you all yesterday to express his deep appreciation for your hard work and commitment to the SACE project. I believe his meeting with all the anchor organizations has been inspiring and engaging and that it also reinforced your zeal to continue to push for responsive governance, inclusive and equitable economic growth not only in Niger Delta region, but in Nigeria as a whole.
Going back the memory lane, I recall our first gathering with project partners in 2014 at the Sheraton Hotel here in Abuja to launch the SACE project. I can see that many of the organizations who were there on that occasion are here with us in this room today. I am happy we have all come this far working together since then to achieve the goals and objectives of SACE at the national, regional, state and local levels.
I also note from the gathering here today that the SACE partnerships have grown from those 15 Anchor organizations that were part of that initial award ceremony with their cluster members.
We are delighted about the expansion of the partnership as this aligns with the ideals of PIND Foundation.
There is no doubt that SACE is a product of partnership; partnership between USAID, PIND and Chemonics International. At PIND Foundation, our overarching strategy is predicated on partnership. We believe firmly that no single organization can solve the complex and interconnected challenges in the Niger Delta region and of course in the country. We value partnerships that enable institutions and organizations to combine resources, capabilities and technical expertise to bring about systemic change.
Looking back to that day more than four years ago when SACE was launched, and taking stock of how far we have gone in implementing the SACE project and addressing the major objectives, we can say unequivocally that the goal and objectives of the project have been achieved.
A major thrust of SACE is to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of membership organizations, coalitions and networks to be able to serve their members, engage with government at various levels to influence policy reforms and promote accountable and responsive governance. This will help create a society in which government is responsive to the needs of its citizens, and a peaceful and business-friendly environment where hard working entrepreneurs are able to unleash their creative imaginations for income earning and employment creation.
It is perhaps appropriate for me to mention findings from two mid-term evaluation of the SACE project conducted separately, in 2016 and 2017, one with focus on Niger Delta SACE and the other with broader scope covering both national and regional SACE on the project performance.
Reports of both evaluations rated the project highly in terms of performance. In specific terms, the evaluation teams commended SACE for the introduction of the Anchor/Cluster Model of engagement and collaboration. With this model SACE has created a growing web of interconnected individuals, organizations and communication platforms dedicated to issues-based advocacy and development. Particularly salient were the achievements in the open-budget campaign, completion of hitherto abandoned projects, and inclusive growth through statutory allocations to marginalized groups and sectors.
Niger Delta partners recorded impressive results in their strategic engagements with policymakers and even with Niger Delta Institutions, which has resulted in the involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in joint monitoring of projects. SACE has strengthened capacity of business membership organizations to advocate for inclusive agricultural policies and other economic reforms. It is also worthy to mention that the project developed tools to promote transparency and accountability. Two of such tools, the Niger Delta Institutions Transparency and Accountability Index (NDITI) and Citizens Report Card (CRC) have gained global recognition and adoption.
Distinguished partners of SACE, I am here today on behalf of the PIND Foundation and our partners to thank you for all your hard work and commitment that made it possible for us all to achieve the results we are celebrating today. Please note that we are very proud of your resilience and commitment to the success of the project objectives, particularly in the Niger Delta region. It is our sincere hope and belief that all the achievements made will be sustained and the structures facilitated by the SACE project will not only be maintained but further consolidated and expanded.
The upcoming elections for instance should provide a good ground to put those structures and capabilities to use. Your institutional and technical capacity have been strengthened for improved service delivery and to effectively engage with government at various levels to trigger policy reforms and responsive governance. I urge you to use those networks, capacity and skills built to hold the political leadership to account.
Let me also express our sincere appreciation to our partners from Chemonics International and Root Change for their exemplary dedication to the implementation of SACE. I’d also like to conclude by according due recognition and acknowledgement to the SACE Chief of Party, Charles Abani and his team for their excellent work in the delivery of SACE implementation.
Thank you for your kind attention.
