By Ojoma Akor:
The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with the support of Ford Foundation, has awarded N85 million to 17 Nigerian indigenous Non-Profit organisations.
The funding awards was made under the NGO Support Initiatives ( NSI) , which aims to bridge the funding gaps due to USAID funding cuts.
Speaking while presenting the grants in Abuja, the Executive Director of dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, said that the intervention was aimed at supporting NGOs in Nigeria who lost funding from USAID and other international NGOs within the year.
She urged the awardees to use the fund to improve the living conditions of the communities they work in, adding that each of the 17 NGOs would be given N5 million to implement their plans in three months.
She said, “I congratulate you for winning the first cohort of this critical intervention, and I hope you will continue to do your best in a transparent and accountable manner to implement what you proposed to do. ”
Dr Walker, described the NSI grant as significant for the civil society space in Nigeria.
According to her, it will provide the much-needed funding to NGOs facing financial difficulties, enabling them to continue their essential work.
She said the grant will ensure long-term viability of civil society organisations, enabling them to maintain their operations and continue to have a positive impact.
She said it will also offer opportunities for NGOs to strengthen their capacities and improve their effectiveness in addressing social issues.
She added that the NSI grant is a lifeline for many NGOs, helping them navigate the funding crisis and to continue their valuable contributions to society.
General Obashina Ogunbiyi, NSI Assessor and past grantee of dRPC one of the master trainers and mentors, urged the recipients to ensure transparency and accountability in implementing the project.
He said their performance will open opportunities for more NGOs to access the second cohort of funding that will be launched in September.
He commended the dRPC and the Gates Foundation, saying they have provided funding under the PACFaH@ scale project to develop their capacities, and have now stepped down to the new awardees.
Director of Programmes at the dRPC, Dr Stanley Ukpai, said that the US government terminated 83% of USAID programs worldwide, cancelling over 5, 200 contracts that disrupted HIV, TB, and malaria treatments.
He added that over 1,000 Nigerian jobs were lost due to USAID cuts in Nigeria alone, with over 5,800 programmes terminated worldwide.
“This is what the dRPC is responding to, to bridge these gaps that would help bridge the substantial disruptions in various sectors, including health, education, and economic development,”he added.
One of the recipients of the awards and Executive Director of the Visionary Women in Agricultural Development in Africa, Perpetual Nkechi Okafor promised to use it properly to improve women’s lives in Anambra State.
She said, ‘”We commend dRPC for this unique intervention, which will support local NGOs in Nigeria when global funding is increasingly limited.”
Highlights of the ceremony was the hand over of cheques of N5 million to each of the 17 recipient organizations who won the grant.
