By Lucy Abagi James

‘My daughter forfeited her chance to study Engineering at the University of Port-Harcourt because she had compounded breathing problems caused by soot.  She is currently learning how to sew clothes and we are hopeful that by the next admission season, she will gain admission to study at another University’. – Anonymous

A lady (in her late 30’s) who lost her younger brother a year ago to cancer, believes his death was linked to environmental pollution’ of black soot. Sadly, these harrowing experiences are the daily realities of people living in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. 

Many years ago,my grandmother journeyed from her village in Oron, in search of a ‘better life’ in Port-Harcourt. Her countless stories on her sojourn for a better life in Po-ta-kot (Pidgin) as she fondly called it, kept arousing my inquisitiveness to understudy Port- Harcourt. The city of PH as it called, is one of the boisterous in Nigeria,  and the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria. Through the benefits of the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, PH further developed, becoming commercially viable and attracting migrants from other States who sought better means of living.

The narrative has since changed. A city that was once the dream of a people has suddenly become their nightmare.  This situation is further worsened for the marginalized and deprived sub-sect.

People have not only lost their means of livelihood but also their lost loved ones to the clutches of the Black Soot. Some have had their health deteriorate, and have been diagnosed with cancer. Others have had to relocate to other cities for fear of the dreadful. The town covered in black, has now become a shadow of what it used to be. If you swipe a finger at a car glass, the colour on your thumb is black soot. Food, windows, beds, furniture, electronics, merchandise are all  smeared with soot. Children are deprived of the opportunity to explore their childhood because movements are restricted, still, in their small play areas, their feet are stained, and unknowingly the soot particles find their way into their homes creating more harm and unavoidable damages to their health.

Soot broke out in the city two years ago as a result of incomplete combustion of carbon, the burning of crude oil on both illegal refinery grounds or government confiscation policy. Experts estimate that about six (6) million residents of Port Harcourt are exposed to the risk of cancer since the emergence of SOOT in the city.

Black soot is the fine black particle, chiefly composed of carbon, produced by incomplete combustion of coal, oil, wood, or other fuels. Soot can consist of acids, chemicals, metals, soils, and dust. The common trait of soot particles is that they are extremely tiny – 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. This is smaller than dust and mold, and is about 1/30 the diameter of a human hair’. 

As a result of this menace, Port Harcourt is now known as the Black City. Majority believe that the source of this black soot is due to incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons as well as asphalt processing, burning of barges used for oil bunkering and illegal artisanal refinery operations in some parts of the state. 

In a more humane clime, black soot would be called  a national disaster and a state of emergency declared. A saner government would have halted the insensitive activities of these Oil Companies, and evacuated citizens in most affected regions. It would have accelerated the  total clean-up of the region. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Little or low attention has been given to the effect of this environmental and climate conditions The tall buildings and white sparkling mansions are slowly losing their splendour. The town has gone sour and many like my grandmother have long lost faith of a better life in po-ta-kot. 

Clearly, as are many issues in Nigeria, soot is believed to be  hugely politicized, making allowance for roles to be shifted. The State Government points fingers at the Federal Government and vice versa. Painfully, the magnitude of the blast is yet to hit the State, although the menace is not getting any serious attention, most of the people affected still go about  their daily tasks. Experts still maintain that the presence of soot in the atmosphere is dangerous and carcinogenic and constant exposures can result in numerous and diverse respiratory diseases. 

After years of waiting, wailing and increased death toll in the black city, on Thursday 19 April 2018 the people of Po-ta-kot marched out in quantum to demand immediate action by the government. Connected Development holistically joined this march and KC Nwakalor, a distinctive and professional Photographer brushed up his magic camera to gather live images and experiences, so the voices of the residents can be amplified, and the oil rich state rescued from total environmental degradation. 

KC Nwakalor recounting his ground experience, and direct impact of SOOT on the masses, He opined that the black soot settles on everything and finds its way into the corners of living rooms no matter how hard people try to stop it. “Food items in Port Harcourt markets are not spared from getting mixed with these deadly black particles that are massively present everywhere.

Deeply concerned by this issue, should citizens carry placards before a serious attention is drawn to a case of environmental setback like this?  Be that as it may, this march elucidates citizens distrust in the government and lack of human empathy by the bourgeoisie in ensuring that a joint action is taken to support the marginalized and most affected populace of the state. 

Nwakalor further arbitrated that the mass turnout of people was to ensure that likely solutions and steps are taken by the government to stop the activities of Illegal refineries (a huge business venture enjoyed by certain political thugs and loyalists). The Federal and State Governments, security agencies as well as all agencies in charge of environment and other agencies handling related issues, should toe a defined and safe path in handling illegal oil vessels. “The government should constitute local councils into environmental councils to monitor their areas for any possible illegal refining of crude and other dangerous acts that are inimical to human existence.”

I am positive that some day, the tall, gigantic, stainless and sparkling white buildings of Po-ta-kot will return. Po-ta-kot will be scrubbed white and the present black city will receive its redemption and be polished in gold. Our children will explore the blessings of childhood, market women will display their goods in style, the hospitals will not be crowded with victims  and development will return to the Black City. 

“I am the voice of dying children, displaced women, and people suffering at the hands of the climate crisis created by rich countries…Voices from the global south deserve to be heard… we are humans who do not deserve to suffer a crisis that we did not create.” 

-Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, Ugandan Climate Activist.

After running-over an extra 48 hours, COP25 ended with a lack of any tangible results and instead highlighted the extreme disconnect between the governments of the largest polluting nations and the scientific and activist communities. This conference was supposed to be an opportunity for governments to raise their ambitions in response to the climate emergency, but instead allowed them to continue to evade the issue and stick their heads in the sand, leaving the big issues, such as carbon markets, for COP26 in Glasgow. With the devastating climate catastrophes currently happening, such as the bushfires in Australia, this is an extremely disappointing outcome. It highlights just how far we are from making significant progress in the climate discussion, with the largest countries showing no plans to increase their ambition.

Although being the continent that contributes the least to the emissions of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, Africa is the first to be severely impacted by the effects of climate change. In fact, Africa is already suffering from the consequences of climate change, from the burning of the Congo rainforest to the shrinking of Lake Chad. These, and other extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, are severely impacting Africa’s chances to grow by affecting crop yields and livestock production, leading to food insecurity, further exacerbating poverty and hunger. Moreover, it increases internal migration as places become inhabitable; water scarcity, which in turn could lead to higher instances of armed conflict due to competition for resources. It also increases health risks, such as malaria due to an increase in temperature, respiratory diseases such as asthma due to an increase in air pollution, and heat stress; and so much more, all of which will have a negative impact on the chances of achieving the SDGs. 

Despite these current issues, for many in the global south, climate change is often seen as a far-away problem, as western media focuses on issues that are not relatable, such as the melting of the icebergs. That is not to say these issues are not important and should not be discussed, but rather highlights the need for the amplification of localised crises caused by climate change, as only then will we be able to combat these crises effectively.

Although assistance from the global north is necessary to make tangible change, in order for these changes to be implemented, it is vital for national governments to take action and be more accountable. In Nigeria, there are no shortage of options for ways the government can respond to climate change, for example, making an investment in climate change research and supporting brilliant organisations like the National Agency for Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Establishment of the Climate Change Commission Bill (ECCC),  and other initiatives and deploy new solutions to problems society is currently facing. These investments can help eliminate the use of coal as an energy source and focus on renewable energy; enforce sustainable policies, especially in the energy sector; increase financing in health and education sectors and so much more. The failure of the largest and most guilty nations during this conference should not be an excuse to focus on one of the biggest issues threatening human existence. Instead, developing countries, such as Nigeria, should use this as an opportunity to lead by example. Organisations like Connected Development (CODE) are vital in order to apply pressure to the government to ensure it is doing everything in its power to respond appropriately to the climate emergency, especially in terms of transparency and financial accountability.

Despite its shortcomings, if COP25 showed us anything, it was that the youth and grassroots activists are not going anywhere anytime soon. Fridays For Future occupied the main plenary stage on the 11th and were commended for their efforts, highlighting the impact grassroots groups have on the climate movement. However, on the same day, Indigenous activists gathered to sing and chant as another form of protest, but these activists were treated aggressively by security, thrown out of the conference, and had their badges confiscated. This difference in treatment between the two groups highlights how indegnous and marginalised voices are still silenced and forcefully pushed out of climate conversations. As the continent with the younger population, Africa has so much potential for youth-led activism. CODE, as an organisation whose main goal is to amplify these voices, must continue to use its platform to bring awareness to these issues. 

Kevwe Precious Oghide

A major concern in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on Water Sanitation and Hygiene Is how to end Open Defecation by 2030. How realistic is this?

Nigeria is suffering from a defecation problem. Defecating in the open is one of the leading devastating menaces to public health in Nigeria. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 122,000 Nigerians, including 87,000 children under the age of five die every year from diarrhoea, intestinal worm infections, cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and other preventable sanitation-related illnesses.

Although access to clean sanitation facilities has improved significantly, due to increased funding and efforts by UNICEF, the European Union, and other global development agencies working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); the results are still far from quantifiable. Over two-third of Nigeria’s population suffer from poor hygiene and live without access to necessary sewage and sanitation facilities. And without proper sanitation facilities, people have no choice than to defecate in open and unsafe places, attracting unwanted health hazards and safety problems, especially for women and children.

Today, Nigeria suffers not only from poor hygiene but inadequate medical care, a menace that is linked to poverty. Thus, eradicating open defecation is an important part of efforts to reduce poverty. The general population forgo hand washing after using the toilet due to sanitation ignorance, lack of proper water supply systems and poorly maintained facilities. With the gaps in sanitation infrastructure, Nigerians can only dream of simple toilet facilities.

One prevalent challenge to ending open defecation is not just erecting sanitation structures or providing clean and safe toilets but changing people’s behaviour from choosing farm fields, railways, motor parks, stadiums, highways, streets, roads, playgrounds, bushes, forests and water bodies, to using the toilets. Many rural dwellers, for instance defecate in the open, not necessarily because they do not have access to toilets but because of deep-rooted cultural practices. How do we create awareness of the dangers and detrimental health effects of this practice? How can we share information that will spur behavioural change in an effort to bridge the gap between poor sanitation and the proper use of toilets? There is a mother in a grassroots community who cleans her baby’s faeces, rinses her hands, and continues cooking, though her hands are not thoroughly washed. There is a child who defecates in a corner and goes back to eating his meal nearby. There is a girl who goes to the bush to defecate and is at risk of rape, kidnap or death. The health and safety implications are terrifying.

Although the Nigerian Government is making conscious efforts to prioritize sanitation, with the launch of Clean Nigeria, the results are not encouraging. Many Nigerians understand the need for clean water but knowledge of sanitation is a far cry. 

To achieve an Open Defecation Free (ODF) society, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources must prioritize sanitation, especially at a time when the country faces the challenge of standard and adequate medical facilities. While the need for clean water and sanitation, particularly in grassroots areas is understood, the relevant government, international development agencies and civil society groups must begin an urgent nationwide sensitization campaign about the necessity of proper sanitation and good hygiene practice as this has a significant impact on healthy living. To be fair, some humanitarian organisations like UNICEF, USAID, EU and Connected Development [CODE] have taken up this cause but it requires the efforts of every Ministry, Institution, the private sector, donor agencies and even individuals to make ODF a reality in Nigeria. Of the 774 Local Governments in the country, only ten are Open Defecation Free. Bauchi, Benue, Cross River and Jigawa State account for the ten LGAs that are leading the drive towards an ODF Nigeria.

It is worthy of note that Nigeria loses about 1.3% (N455 billion) of its GDP annually to poor sanitation as a result of illness, low productivity, loss of earning opportunities and other factors. Ending open defecation in Nigeria can mop up this economic loss.

To urgently tackle Open Defecation, relevant Ministries must set up strong sanitation policies and make budget provisions that reach even the most remote grassroots areas. Nigeria needs a separate budget line for sanitation with a special allocation to end open defecation and put measures in place for accountable spending. CODE, through its social accountability movement, Follow The Money, can track funding in the fight to end open defecation and ensure that monies disbursed for the cause are judiciously utilised. The government needs to initiate bills/laws to promote sanitation and take urgent action to implement an open defecation roadmap at State and Local Government levels. Corporate Organisations should prioritize sanitation in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) —they can make budget allowances for erecting mobile toilets, repairing broken facilities, providing water supply to improve the practice of proper sanitation, in urban areas. There is a need to adopt all necessary means to sensitize the public on the importance of sanitation and hygiene. It is not enough to provide clean and safe toilets but also to change behaviours as a means to bridge the gap between building latrines and their proper use.

In 2014, India began an intentional and aggressive nationwide campaign to stop 623million of its population from practising Open Defecation. Today, India has recorded 94% success rate. If India, with its very large population can achieve this, so can Nigeria. 

Kevwe Precious Oghide is the Communications Lead at Connected Development [CODE]. She has a profound appreciation for great humanitarian service, demonstrates high ethical standards and has an outstanding record of generating high impact results through creativity and collaboration.
Reach her via Kevwe@connecteddevelopment.org

Kevwe Precious Oghide

On a sunny day in 2015, global leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, to review and adopt a more comprehensive and transformational development agenda that outlines a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at eradicating poverty in all its forms and ensuring that no one is left behind in the quest to improve the overall well being of humans.

In simple terms, the Sustainable Development Goals were set out to achieve a world where people have access to basic human rights, good jobs, access to nutritious foods, standard healthcare facilities, affordable education, access to clean water, freedom of speech, where economies grow exponentially, and develop the ability to design innovative technologies while safeguarding the environment.

The SDGs seek to build on and complete the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were; to realize the human rights of all; achieve gender equality in all sectors and spheres of life; and importantly, strike a balance between economic, social and environmental dimensions of development. A review of the MDGs revealed that Nigeria was unable to achieve a considerable level of success in its implementation of the goals, more so, the progress made were rather slow and largely unquantifiable.

Since the unveiling of the SDGs 4 years ago, Nigeria has made conscious efforts towards achieving these goals — the pace of progress, however, is slow. Some of these success stories include; reviewing the Universal Basic Education Act to address the issue of out-of-school children, signing into law the Not Too Young to Run Bill, combating corruption in the deployment of public service delivery — in primary health care , improved infrastructure and working to build stronger institutions.

The Nigerian Youths are largely at the forefront of these achievements — especially in the implementation of public service delivery tied to the SDGs. Young people in Nigeria, through the Follow The Money (FTM) movement, are amplifying the voices of the marginalised, driving socio-economic development in far-to-reach grassroots communities, demanding open and transparent government, holding their elected representatives accountable for better delivery of public services and working to ensure no Nigerian is left behind in the attainment of the SDGs by 2030.

Follow The Money, a social accountability network of over 5000 anti-corruption activists — data wranglers, academics, youths, researchers — represented at different States and Communities in Nigeria, is telling the stories of citizens, promoting good governance, and empowering citizens with the knowledge and capacity to demand for the provision of quality public services in the country. Using mobile and web technologies to drive this change, FTM is committed to not only making public funds work for the people but also shrinking the widening inequality gap and ultimately lifting millions of people out of poverty.

For instance, it has aided the provision of primary healthcare centres in rural areas — significantly reducing child and maternal deaths; advocated for access to clean water in communities that otherwise would have had to travel miles and miles to access water — reducing the number of children (girls especially) who miss out on school or could be exposed to safety hazards. Follow The Money has also championed the cause of school building projects in these communities, resulting in the enrolment of more children in primary school, particularly girls; and also advocated for the increase in representation and participation of women in grassroots and national parliaments.

Consequently, essential public projects, previously abandoned or which otherwise would not have been implemented, are being restarted and completed, directly impacting over 2 million lives.

Building on this success , several countries are taking steps to replicate the Follow The Money model into their governance system — some African countries like Malawi, The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia have begun Following the Money to promote social accountability and ensure that public funds work for public good.

It was no wonder it won the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Global Mobilizer award for 2019. According to the SDGs Action Awards Global Project Leader, Laura Hildebrandt, “the 2019 winners are the most impactful, transformative and creative SDG Action drivers.” At the presentation of the UN SDG awards in Bonn, Germany, representatives from Bangladesh, Canada, South Africa and Turkey expressed interest in replicating the model in their countries and sought consultation from the Follow The Money Nigeria team.

Winning this award is important to Nigeria because it projects a powerful advocacy message that recognises Nigeria’s progress in implementing the SDGs. Although, progress is slow, it is interesting to note that Policy influencers, and government service delivery agencies are integrating the SDGs into their implementation plans and budgets. For example, the Ministry of Water Resources began a nationwide campaign to end open defecation, provide clean toilets and access to clean water in rural communities. The Federal Ministry of Education is tackling the increasing number of out-of-school children through partnerships and policy reviews. We are optimistic that the Ministry of Health will accelerate its efforts to repair damaged Primary healthcare centres and improve the standard of healthcare delivery across the country. The ease of doing business has always been a sore spot for many Nigerians, the Government must intensify efforts to boost the Nigerian economy and provide ease for Small and Medium Enterprises.

Nigeria can see the SDGs as strategic plans that aim to improve the overall wellbeing of the country — simply put; the goals are ways to think about how we can create a more inclusive, equitable, prosperous society, and shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient development pathway. That a home-grown Nigerian initiative won the UN SDGs award, is a commendable feat that puts Nigeria on an anti-corruption fight pedestal and serves as a face-lift of its failing reputation in the International Community.

With this award, Nigeria must begin to rethink its strategies, plans, projects, and focus on building its reputation as a country where quality of life is valued, corruption is greatly tackled, inequality is challenged and the economy is boosting with higher productivity.

By Saater Ikpaahindi

As I looked through Connected Development’s array of remarkable pictures that document the organisation’s work, many pictures grabbed my attention. Perhaps it’s because of my child protection background but this picture instantly brought me a thousand worries. The picture of children drawing water from a poorly constructed, widely gaping water well.  The thoughts that ran through my mind were; what if the children fell into the well? What if there was no adult in sight to help them out? What if they drowned? 

My mind kept racing with these thoughts as I also pondered if the water was clean enough to make these children risk their lives. Pictures like these, draw you into the reality of the limited access to clean water supply many Nigerians face especially those living in rural communities.

Although Nigeria has made great progress in the provision of clean water for its citizens, however, 59 million people in Nigeria do not have access to clean drinking water (according to WaterAid), that is approximately 1 in 3 people. This has contributed to high morbidity rates, especially among children under five. Using dirty and contaminated water increases the likelihood of contracting water borne diseases which leads to thousands of deaths yearly, disproportionately affecting women and children. According to UNICEF, 70% of diarrhoeal and enteric disease burden can be traced to poor access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and this affects the poorest children the most.

Like the appalling provision of many basic amenities, the inadequate provision of clean water facilities in Nigeria can be traced to poor governance, corruption and poor accountability and transparency. Funds dedicated for the provision of basic social amenities like clean drinking water are often siphoned by public officials for their own personal enrichment, pushing millions of Nigerian’s especially women and children into extreme poverty. 

To address these issues, for the past seven years, Connected Development (CODE) has been working with marginalised communities to build their capacity to hold government accountable for the provision of social services meant for their communities. CODE’s innovative initiative Follow The Money, provides a platform for communities to track government and international aid funds for building of schools, restoration of healthcare facilities and installation of WASH facilities.

Water is an essential necessity of life; as a matter of fact, water is a matter of  life and death. Every Nigerian child deserves safe water and adequate sanitation in School, every healthcare centre deserves WASH facilities especially in relation to maternal and new-born health (MNH), every Nigerian household deserves clean drinking water and a basic toilet and, every community deserves to be open defecation free. 

It is time to take greater action. I therefore call on the Nigerian government and relevant stakeholders to accelerate efforts to improve access to WASH facilities across communities in Nigeria by adopting innovative and sustainable global best practices and institutionalising inclusive WASH policies. 

Ahead of the G7 Summit holding tomorrow in Biarritz France, where world leaders will meet to discuss global challenges, over 50 of the World’s leading NGOs have petitioned the G7 leaders to accelerate action on gender equality.

The petition, which was coordinated by the ONE Campaign and co-signed by Connected Development [CODE] and other NGOs, warned that despite promises to do more for women and girls, the world is dangerously off-track on gender equality.

At a moment when the future of multilateralism is in doubt, this year’s G7 summit presents an unprecedented opportunity for leaders to show they can make a difference. Reducing inequality is the central theme of this year’s summit and yet gender inequality remains one of the most pervasive barriers to growth and prosperity.

According to CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, the G7 leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to begin to turn the tide against gender inequality by fast-tracking the delivery of long-lasting change for girls and women across the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lawal added that inequality hinders the possibility to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in Nigeria, and urges the World Leaders to support new laws, policies and funding that will help to advance women’s rights and economic empowerment.

It is beyond belief that we will have to wait another 108 years to achieve gender equality across the world. Until this changes, leaders are ignoring the power and potential of half the world’s population, Gayle Smith, President of ONE said.

The letter calls on the leaders attending the summit to take real action and agree to independent reporting of their commitments when they meet in Biarritz.

The format of the G7 Summit will involve the leaders of the African Union, the IMF, the OECD, the UN and the World Bank.

Concerned by the poor service delivery of Primary Healthcare Centres in Nigeria, two Non-Governmental Organisations, Nigeria Health Watch and Connected Development [CODE], have signed an MoU to advocate for improved service delivery in primary healthcare centres across the country.

The partnership, signed yesterday in Abuja, was established for the purpose of monitoring healthcare service delivery and increasing accountability in the delivery of primary healthcare services in Kano State. It will focus on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) services, and will include other services such as family planning, immunization and antenatal services.

Although, Nigeria has many PHC across the country, the performance of the healthcare centres is hindered by poor infrastructure and maintenance, insufficient drugs & vaccines and sub-standard equipment and limited health workers, factors that are hinged on financing and governance.

On the objective of the project, Director of Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said; “The foundation of healthcare delivery should be through our primary health centres and this project will focus on monitoring the effective delivery of basic healthcare services, with a view to driving positive change in the quality of healthcare Nigerians have access to”.

According to CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, “this partnership comes at a time when sustainable measures must be put in place to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system. He added that access to healthcare is one of the basic human rights and providing basic health services to people, especially at the grassroots, through standard primary healthcare system is key to stabilizing the Nation’s medical care challenges.

Strengthening healthcare service delivery is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3; to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages, including the delivery of interventions to reduce child mortality, maternal mortality and the burden of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

About Nigeria Health Watch

Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit organization that aims to advocate for the health of Nigerians, strengthen the capacity of health sector organisations, enlighten Nigerians on good health habits and practices and engage and support government and other partners to formulate and implement positive and effective health policies. Its dual strengths in health and communication enables it to provide solutions for communications and advocacy in the health sector.

About Connected Development

Connected Development [CODE] is a non-governmental organization, whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa. Its initiative, Follow The Money, advocates and tracks government/international aid spending in health, WASH, and education across grassroots and communities to promote and ensure open government and service delivery.

Muazu Alhaji Modu

North East in 2018 ranked highest number of out of school children in Nigeria. This is mainly caused by the devastation of the region by Boko Haram insurgency, impeding academic activities and causing the increase of the number of children that are not in school.

Another contributing factor to the accelerating number of out of school children is the deficiencies in the basic education sector— lack of  basic infrastructures, inadequate teaching material and poor qualification of teachers—are making education in the NorthEast a challenge that needs urgent intervention.

In 2016, the Nigerian Government budgeted NGN 20million, for the construction and furnishing of 2 blocks of 3 Classrooms at Tongo II Primary School in Tongo village, Gombe State under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Follow The Money, known for its mission to track government spending and ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of government or international aid projects in grassroots communities, began a campaign, #FurnishTongo, to track and oversee the completing of the Education project in Tongo II Primary School.

Follow The Money is working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 –improving access to quality basic education and ensuring effective service delivery at grassroots. As the Follow The Money Chapter Lead in Gombo State, I led a team on a preliminary visit to Tongo community. There, we learned that the school had only 4 classrooms  while 2 of these  classrooms were dilapidated but still, they served as learning rooms to over 700 registered Pupils (414 Boys and 286 Girls).

Follow The Money sensitized the people of Tongo and intensively engaged local leaders, women groups, youth groups, religious heads—in the tracking  process so they could ask their elected representatives the right questions and monitor the contractors assigned the project till it is completed. One of the challenges we experienced was harrassment from political persons acusing us of working with opponents to incite rural dwellers against the government. Our lives were threatened and we were told if we did not end our campaigns, we would be locked in cells. We, however, presented documents (page of the budget where project started, tender advertisement, FOI request letters to various MDAs, reports of community outreaches etc.) to them showing FTM’s independence of any group. We told them Follow The Money is a legitimate transparency and accountability movement

We intensified our advocacy on both traditional and social media. Few days later the construction commenced and was completed  within a very short period of time. After the implementation, the ratio of students per classroom drastically reduced at the school and more children were enrolled at Tongo II Primary School. Our advocacy brought about the building of 6 additional classrooms and also created opportunity for hundreds of children to access basic education.

As a child, I loved playing the “Profession” game. From around the neighbourhood, kids will huddle together in a circle, and randomly pick a profession they dream of becoming, with rhythmic clapping and dancing. The trick was that the person who mentioned a profession already mentioned is knocked out of the circle until there are two or three kids still in the circle. It was a thing of pride to be one of the “last-kids-standing”. To always be a part of the winning kids, I felt sticking to a profession that was unique and not easily remembered, was the trick.

This began my journey to becoming an accountant. Thus, even though I was meant to be in Science class back in secondary school, I opted for the social sciences, because “accountant” stuck on my mind, and my love for figures and numbers wouldn’t go away. I knew accounting was what I wanted and there was no going back. Through hard work and passion, I won best in class in secondary school and this drove me to major in Accounting. With scientific evidence of working hard already playing out in my life, I further made a decision of not just being a pragmatic accounting graduate but a pragmatic chartered accountant.

The ICAN journey was not easy. It involved closing from work and going for evening classes, hence, I barely had a life outside preparations for the exams because I was struggling with office deliverables and reading for my exams. I knew the fulfilment and benefits I will get from being a Chartered accountant- including, improved capacity to effectively manage an entity or country from the financial perspective. However, it required herculean financial and time resources, of which I had constraints.

At last, on May 9, 2018, I overcame all the hurdles and was inducted as an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) with  The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Apart from hard work, I was blessed with amazing tutors, a supporting family, friends and Connected Development (CODE). Working with the CODE team so far, has enabled me to hone my accounting skills. CODE has given me the opportunity to meet with professional mentors who have also motivated me to strive to be the best in my profession. I have also had the opportunity to train staff in order to improve their expense reconciliation skills and ensure they have basic financial management knowledge. Also, my interaction with other departments such as the Programmes and Community Engagement units has availed me the opportunity to learn programme roles and responsibilities in order to effectively carry out my duties in financial project management, such as project budgeting and financial reporting.

Follow The Money which is an initiative of CODE; tracks, advocates and visualises government spending in rural communities. Through this, we ensure rural dwellers have access to education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. Basically, we make sure the government is accountable to its citizens. As the accountant and internal control specialist, I follow the “follow-the-money” team to ensure our organisation is accountable to rural communities – the bane of our existence, and our donors all around the world.  Hence, I am the Chief Follow The Money Specialist.

Accounting has allowed me to grow and learn both professionally and personally. Although it is a competitive field, it offers fantastic opportunities for career progression in different organizations, industries and countries. Accounting is not only the commercial language of an organization it is also at the centre of ever-changing business dynamics and management practices.

However, we don’t have to be “official” or possess “full technical capacity” to hold our governments accountable. It is important for us to track government spending within our communities in order to ensure sustainable development for all. A great way to start is to join ifollowthemoney.org. Have you done that? Sign up today!