By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
In an effort to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) on effective and result based advocacy, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded program, ‘State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity has commenced three a day training workshop on effective advocacy for sustainable governance reform and community charter of demands, targeting 35 CSOs in Bauchi State.
In a short remarks before the commencement of workshop held at Hazibal Hotel Conference Hall on Tuesday 15th November, 2022, the Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP) of USAID State2State Mr. John Onyeukwu said advocacy is a key engagement that tacitly holds government accountable and trigger it into taking informed decisions aimed at improving the welfare of citizens.
Mr. Onyeukwu also said that for the CSOs to carry out an effective advocacy and have things done, there is the need for the CSOs to get the right information and methodology to do that.
The DCoP also expressed his optimism that the selected participants will justify the confidence reposed in them by imbibing what the facilitators will take them through during the three days workshop.
Also speaking the Bauchi state team lead of USAID State2State, Rabi Ekele said that since inception of the activity in the State, CSOs have been in the picture of what State2State Activity has been doing in Bauchi State. Ekele commended the effort of the CSOs whom she described as the voice of voiceless in the society.
Earlier, the gender and social inclusion specialist of USAID State2State Bauchi office, Hassana Lawal Bello said the objective of the workshop was to improve the capacity of participants to design and use community charter of demand instrument as part of an all-inclusive budget process.
Other areas that the workshop will seek to achieve, according to Bello, was to increase participants ability to better lead and manage advocacy engagements and campaigns for responsive, sensitive, inclusive and sustainable governance reform.
Our correspondent reports that the workshop attracted 35 participants drawn from various CSOs in Bauchi State. A communique is expected at the end of the workshop.