LEAD Anglophone West Africa 2006 Highlights
COHORT 11 FINAL NATIONAL TRAINING SESSION (6th – 12th February, 2006)
The main objectives of the session were to conclude the preparation of the Case Study to be presented by LEAD-Nigeria Associates on Corporate Social Responsibility at the International Training and Graduation Session in Bhopal, India at the end of February 2006, prepare all the Associates adequately for the Graduation Session and to ensure completion of action on Associates LAP.
LEAD GLOBAL TRAINING SESSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND COHORT 11 GRADUATING SESSION HELD IN BHOPAL, INDIA ( 21ST FEBRUARY 2006 TO 1ST MARCH 2006)
Ten LEAD-Nigeria Cohort 11 Associates attended the LEAD International Graduation Session held in Bhopal, India from February 21 to March 1, 2006. The theme of the Session was ‘Strengthening Environment Governance Today’. As was usually the case at previous graduation sessions, the forum provided opportunity for cross-cultural and international interaction and exchange of ideas, and the networks so created got better for discussions on global sustainable development challenges.
The ten Associates were admitted into the LEAD Network of Fellows at the end of the graduation session.
RECRUITMENT OF COHORT 12 LEAD-NIGERIA/LEAD ANGLOPHONE WEST AFRICA ASSOCIATES
Advertisements calling for applications to join the LEAD Associateship Training Programme were made in June 2006 and throughout the year we continued to receive requests and expression of interest electronically from prospective candidates from Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria. The call closed in November 2006 and the process of final selection and interview were concluded before the end of the year 2006. By the close of the year, over 30 candidates had accepted the provisional admission offered them.
LEAD-LIKE TRAINING OFFERED TO OTHERS
LEAD-Nigeria participated in several LEAD-like training during the year 2006. The list, amongst others, includes the following:
• MAINSTREAMING ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA - This workshop took off on August 5, 2006 was organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria in collaboration with the UNDP. It was organized in three zones of Nigeria. Participants were drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Environment and Budget and Planning in all the States in Nigeria numbering about 100. The approaches used at the Workshop included participatory and experiential methods, case studies, and the teaching of new methodologies on mainstreaming.
• AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM - The African Civil Society Forum 24th Session of UNEP Governing Council Global Ministerial Meeting was held in Nairobi from October 26-27, 2006. The meeting reviewed substantial decisions earlier taken at previous Ministerial meetings and came up with recommendations for the consideration of the Governing Council of UNEP. The key issues include:
(i) Chemicals
(ii) Water
(iii) Gender
(iv) Globalization
(v) Ecosystem service and Human Well-being
(vi) Poverty and the Environment
The Director, LEAD AWA, Professor Adeniyi Osuntogun, was elected the Chairman of the two-day meeting of the African Civil Society Forum held at UNEP Nairobi, Kenya.
OTHER LEAD ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS
In addition to normal administrative interactions, LEAD-Nigeria collaborated with LEAD International in the execution of the following activities:
• CONTRACT FOR THE NEWMONT USA COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - LEAD-Nigeria collaborated with LEAD International in the execution of the Contract for the Newmont USA Community Relations Competency Development Project. Two of the five phases on the contract were completed before the end of year 2006. We look forward to the successful completion of the contract in year 2007.
• PROPOSAL ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - Towards the end of year 2006, LEAD-Nigeria Fellows produced a Write-up on Corporate Social Responsibility which was duly forwarded to LEAD International for generation of valuable ideas that could be an opener to playing leading role in helping the corporate sector with CSR in Africa in particular and elsewhere in general.
INVOLVEMENT OF FELLOWS
LEAD FELLOWS in Nigeria meet under different forums. The four major groupings are
• The Cohort Group – dealing with specific issues initiated by the particular Cohort, e.g. 8,9,10 & 11
• The Sectoral Groups – Fellows within the same sector overlooking matters of leadership,
Environment, and development, within their sector.• The Zonal Group – e.g The South-South Group of Fellows working on the sustainable
Development of the Niger Delta Region
• The Business Group – working on the development of corporate social responsibility in Africa
FELLOWS ON THE MOVE
The following LEAD-Nigeria Fellows have had changes in their portfolio:
• BOLUWAJI ONABOLU – LEAD FELLOW COHORT 6 - Has recently been appointed a Zonal Project Officer (Water and Sanitation) with UNICEF, Nigeria
• ABBAS SANI SAMBO – LEAD FELLOW COHORT 10 - Has recently been promoted Executive Director in Swiss Pharma Nigeria Ltd., where he was formerly the Head of the Pharmaceutical Department.
• OLUWATOYIN T. OGUNDIPE – LEAD FELLOW COHORT 9 - Has recently been elevated to the Professorial Chair in Botany and Microbiology at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
• UMAR YAHAYA KAWU – LEAD FELLOW COHORT 10 - Has now established his own training outfit known as KEYTAB INSTITUTE. He is the Executive Director of the firm.
ATTENDANCE AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS
• Miss Titi Tade (Fellow Cohort 11) and Ms. Cordelia Adamu (Fellow Cohort 10), participated in LEAD International Training of Trainers Workshop in Bolzano, Italy from June 4-9, 2006. The report received showed that the training gave them the chance to share ideas and exchange information on training from the participants different locations and that the exposure would give them the opportunity to play an active role in the new posture of the LEAD as an income generating organization.
• Mr. Ademola Omojola (Fellow Cohort 3) participated in the LEAD Adaptation Project – “Mainstreaming Adaptation in Development Policy & Access to Energy” held at KICC (TBC) Nairobi, Kenya from September 13-14, 2006. The Workshop was aimed at striking a balance between top downs and bottom up approaches, informing policy processes and supporting African negotiation positions by reflecting local needs and experiences, underpinned by science based knowledge.
• Miss Rosemary Kato (Fellow Cohort 6), Mr. Thomas O. Ogungbangbe (Fellow Cohort 10), Mr. Abbas Sani Sambo (Fellow Cohort 10), Mr. Samuel Adenekan (Fellow Cohort 3) and the National Programme Director, participated in the Inter-Cohort Fellows Session from November 18 – 23, 2006 in Tunisia on the theme “Contributing to Make of Africa a Land of Opportunities: Africa is on the move and we keep the track with”. The session gave the participants the opportunity to assess how far LEAD Fellows in the continent of Africa have impacted favourably using the experience and exposure gained through their participation in the LEAD Programme.
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE NIGER DELTA
Special attention will be paid to the implementation of the above which is a joint venture between LEAD-Nigeria, TOTAL/ELF Petroleum and other Donor Agencies. The project will include Stakeholders Dialogue and follow-up activities. It is being planned by the South-South Zone of LEAD-Nigeria Fellows.
MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEAD IN WEST AFRICA AND THE AFRICA REGION
These include, among others, the following:
(i) Ecosystem Research with emphasis on Ecosystem Service and Human Well-being
(ii) Regional Biodiversity Conservation
(iii) Peace and Regional Integration
(iv) Sustainable Urbanization with emphasis on action-oriented programmes/projects for urban poverty reduction.
(v) Climate Change
(vi) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)