By Aderogba George
The Secretary-General of ActionAid International, Mr Arthur Larok, has urged all tiers of government in Nigeria to create an enabling environment that allows NGOs to flourish.
Larok made the call during his visit on Wednesday to Pasepa Community in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
It is one of the communities benefiting from ActionAid’s poverty alleviation initiatives.
The visit also marked the 25th anniversary of ActionAid Nigeria.
He emphasised the need for government recognition of civil society efforts.
“Nigerians government needs to acknowledge the work Civil Society Organisation’s like ActionAid are doing in Nigeria, and create an enabling environment for many more to thrive.
“When Civil Society Organisations like ActionAid succeed in Nigeria, the communities also succeed, ” he said.
Noting the limitations of NGOs, Larok added, “The investment NGOs or CSOs are making in the country are inadequate to completely transform societies to their desire since they cannot be everywhere”.
He called on government to learn from NGO successes.
“The government, which is collecting taxes from the people for long-term development and planning, should learn from the experiences and progress these NGOs have made and upscale this”.
On education, he stressed, “No nation will transform if its people are not educated. So I think the governments must prioritise education.
“They must look for resources and ensure that priorities during budgeting are made very clear in each of its expenditures.
“The government must impact on the communities, must impact on the people. That way Nigeria will transform”.
He commended Nigerians for their hospitality and praised the organisation’s impact, saying, “I am very impressed about the impact ActionAid is creating in Nigeria within the 25 years of its existence”.
Earlier, Mr Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, said the visit was aimed at giving the Secretary-General a firsthand look at rural communities, the challenges of poverty, and the organisation’s ongoing interventions.
He noted that ActionAid remains committed to expanding its impact, including improving livelihoods and social services in hard-to-reach areas.
Also, Alhaji Mohammed Pasepa, the community leader, expressed gratitude to ActionAid for its 12 years of support.
He highlighted the establishment of educational facilities, an ICT centre, a library, and youth economic empowerment initiatives such as training in petty trade and the production of items like soap and pomade.
He said the community has achieved significant progress with ActionAid’s support and appealed for continued development efforts from both NGOs and government authorities.
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