WRAPA Participates in the MacArthur Foundation 'on Nigeria' Grantees Meeting
Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative | 27 May, 2019
The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), participated in the MacArthur Foundation On Nigeria Grantees meeting, which took place on the 3rd of October, 2018 at Ibeto Hotel Abuja, Nigeria. The meeting was organized to increase the knowledge of grantees on the MacArthur Foundation’s new agenda and how the work of other grantees contributes to the success of the foundation’s mission in Nigeria.Organizations notably in attendance were BudgIT, PACAC, PICA and Whistleblower Unit, The Cable Foundation, ICIR, SERAP, AFRICMIL, Al Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Lux Terra, Palace of Priests Assembly, Mambayya House, and other grantees of the MacArthur Foundation.
The meeting featured three (3) panel discussions, a legal presentation on guidelines for involvement in electoral process by grantees, presentation of two (2) very intriguing videos on ‘Education’ and ‘Criminal Justice’, and a key message from MacArthur Foundation Chicago to the On Nigeria Grantees.
The first (1st) panel discussion was on Government Anti-Corruption by Bolaji Owasonye – Executive Secretary, PACAC; Mohammed Dikwa – Coordinator PICA and Whistleblower Unit. This was followed by a second (2nd) panel discussion on Investigative Journalism and Amplification by Abiose Adelaja – The Cable Foundation; Rosemary Olufemi – ICIR; Timothy Adewale – SERAP; and Abdulaziz Abdulaziz – AFRICMIL. The third (3rd) panel discussion was an Update on the work of Faith-Based Organization Grantees by Rekiyah Momoh – Al Habibiyyah Islamic Society; Mike Utsaha – Lux Terra; Palace of Priests Assembly; Moses Aluaigba – Mambayya House.
The three (3) sessions were moderated by Dr. Kole Shettima, Amina Salihu and Dayo Olaide, all form the MacArthur FoundationThe video on ‘Education’, presented by Civic Media Lab and BudgIT, focused on GJSS, Gombe State, a secondary school with only 3 classrooms, with very poor infrastructure. The video was advocating for the amendment of the UBE Act before 2020.
The video on ‘Criminal Justice’ presented by PRAI and LEDAP focused on the story of a man named Babagana who was wrongly charged with armed robbery, and locked up for 8 years without trial after which the prosecution could not produce witnesses. His rights were violated as he was brutalized and refused access to healthcare. The video advocated for the amendment of the Criminal Justice Act.
The Managing Director Programs of the MacArthur Foundation, Chicago, U.S.A, Stephanie Platz, during her address informed grantees of all the recent programmatic successes and plans of the Foundation, including the news that the current President of MacArthur Foundation is stepping down in 2019.During the Legal Presentation on Guidelines for Involvement in Electoral Process by Grantees, the grantees present were reminded of the foundation’s policies on implementations of interventions around elections and transparency.
The MacArthur Foundation on Nigeria Grantees meeting was indeed a very insightful and successful meeting, all objectives necessitating the meeting were met, grantees were updated on the new agendas of the MacArthur Foundation and collaborations and linkages opportunities among grantees were harnessed for better increased success in interventions. Download Full Report
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