UKAID FUNDED PROJECT TRAINS CSOs, MEDIA PRACTITIONERS ON GRM, THIRD PARTY MONITORING
The UKaid funded project, “Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID)”, has trained Civil Society Organisations CSOs and media practitioners on Grievances Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Third-Party Monitoring.
Speaking at the close of the training in Kano on Friday, the ESPID team leader for Kaduna and Zamfara states, Mr Tanko Langaya said that the project was aimed at strengthening government systems; capacity to deliver effective, accountable and inclusive social protection.
No fewer than 40 participants from Kaduna and Zamfara attended the five days training, organised by Save the Children International, a Non-Governmental Organisation through the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Langaya said that the training was to achieve effective and inclusive social protection in the two states.
According to him, the training is expected to build capacity of the participants to mobilize citizens to utilize the GRM process.
Read Also: Emir Seeks Effective Synergy Against Insurgency, Banditry
He noted that it would also meet expected output plan of action for CSOs and media activities on budget tracking, community awareness and draft budgets analysis for the states.
The ESPID resource person, Mr Saheed Mustafa, said that social protection has been used as a key strategy to address poverty and maximize its effectiveness in the society, especially to vulnerable groups.
“Social protection must be inclusive and seen as a right to be enjoyed by all, irrespective of gender, race, age, disability, location and ethnic affiliation.
“Thus, ensuring that the most excluded and marginalized members of society benefit from the programme interventions.
“An inclusive social protection system is prerequisite for bridging the poverty gap and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. This is by addressing social exclusion”, Mustafa said.
Earlier, Ms Eunice Victor, Social Protection Inclusion Coordinator, Kaduna office said that the training was to strengthen accountability mechanisms toward effective civil society.
Victor also said that the citizens are engaged in planning, monitoring, evaluation and budgeting process for social protection in Kaduna and Zamfara.
“The training is aimed at strengthen the capacity of CSOs to advocate for increased accountability through budget tracking and analysis”, Victor added.
Also, members of Zamfara ESPID team, Mr Nura Muhammad and Ese Awharitoma appreciate the participants and contributions to various activities and programmes of social protection inclusion.
Muhammad urged participants to utilise the knowledge acquired from the training through their various capacities into social protection design and implementation.
