Job title: Personal Photographer and Visual Content Creator Location: Abuja, Nigeria Reports to: CoS and Executive Assistant Department: Office of the CEO
ABOUT CODE Connected Development [CODE] is a non-governmental organisation that is building the largest social accountability movement and empowering marginalised communities across Africa. We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building the capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable.
ABOUT CEO Hamzat Lawal (Hamzy!) is an activist leading grassroots campaigns across Africa informing decisions and policy making as it affects the lives of poor rural people. He has built a solid reputation both nationally and internationally. Recognised amongst 100 most influential people in Africa and bags many awards for this grassroots work. Hamzy founded CODE, Follow The Money and sits on many non-profit boards.
To further drive our messages and amplify the voices of grassroots communities, we are looking for competent hands to help expand our footprints and drive value through online and offline content. The role will support the communications team to shape CODE’s content and communications strategy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
– Responsible for capturing, editing, and producing studio-quality photos and videos of the CEO for internal and external purposes. – Manage and oversee all technical aspects of CEO’s video recording and editing – Follow CODEs brand guidelines and develop an overall video brand messaging strategy – Create distinctive videos for the CEO – Turn over tasks within the shortest possible time. – Cut video sequences effectively to ensure the scenes are seamless and flow logically. – Perform video editing including inserting music, sound effects, story-boarding etc. – Utilize technical know-how in selecting, assembling, positioning and operating equipment. – Ensure colour grading of the shoot is top notch. – Edit raw footage content for producing film and video. – Perform video and audio editing based on story sequence and continuity. – Capture quality photographs and shoot videos. – Ability to tell video stories with motion content and interview clips – Responsible for managing Cameras, lightings and other equipment. – Provide creative input (ideas, lighting techniques, camera movements, lenses filters etc.) to video production / shoots planning. – Organize and assemble video segments to deliver a continuous and sequential story of specified length. Resolve technical issues as required.
Qualifications and Experience:
– Proven experience as a Cinematographer / Video Editor – operating relevant equipment; cameras, lighting etc. – Excellent working knowledge of software such as Photoshop, Adobe PRO, InDesign – Content creating skills – Sound knowledge of filming. – A strong portfolio of illustrations or other graphics, video application – A keen eye for aesthetics and details – Outstanding communication skills (both written and verbal) – An ego-free attitude when it comes to taking constructive feedback and running with it – Ability to work methodically and meet deadlines – Positive, flexible, solution-oriented, and excited to work with a diverse team of professionals working toward a common goal – Mature, coachable, and happy doing high-level projects as well as mundane design tasks
Method of Application:
Kindly fill this form if you are interested. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Job title: Executive Assistant to The CEO Location: Abuja, Nigeria Reports to: CEO and His CoS Department: Office of The CEO
ABOUT CODE Connected Development [CODE] is a non-governmental organisation that is building the largest social accountability movement and empowering marginalised communities across Africa. We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building the capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable using Follow The Money.
ABOUT CEO Hamzat Lawal (Hamzy!) is an activist leading grassroots campaigns across Africa informing decisions and policy making as it affects the lives of poor rural people. He has built a solid reputation both nationally and internationally. Recognised amongst 100 most influential people in Africa and bags many awards for this grassroots work. Hamzy founded CODE, Follow The Money and sits on many non-profit boards.
Key Responsibilities Administrative: – Prepare minutes of meetings and represent the CEO or top management at meetings when necessary. – Receive and responds to sensitive correspondence while also being a custodian of corporate documents and records. – Manage Board processes, meetings and provide logistics support to the CEO’s office. – Plan scheduled activities with executives, key personnel and outside business contacts. – Provide timeous feedback and maintain professional communication with all stakeholders of the CODE. – Prepare financial statements, reports, memos, invoices letters, and other documents. – Conduct in-depth research and prepare documents for review and presentation by boards of directors, committees, and executives. – Make travel arrangements for the CEO (locally & internationally). – Perform office duties that include ordering supplies and managing a records database. – Provide general administrative and virtual support.
Communications: – Contribute immensely towards media, digital and communication as part of advocacy development and also develop concept notes. – Conduct in-depth research and draft talking points on issues that interest the CEO. -Design and produce communications and educational materials on media and communication for marketing CEO’s activities and campaigns for local and global audience. – Contribute to brand values and manage CEO’s online reputation. – Develops communications work plans for all CEO activities, campaigns and projects. – Support CEO in research, media and communications-related capacity building and ensuring that this is integrated in his diverse interest. – Create and proofread internal and external communication documentations before publishing on CEO’s platforms. – Support CEO in disseminating communication materials to relevant stakeholders. – Support and inform monthly newsletters showcasing CEO’s activities as it relates to CODE’s objectives, periodic press releases, media/news reactions, briefing notes, backgrounders, features, media talking points, question and answer documents. – Draft and disseminate public relations materials that increase CEO’s visibility among online communities, donors, duty bearers and other stakeholders.
Qualifications and Experience: – High-skilled professional & very confidential with CEO’s tasks. – Proven experience as an executive assistant or other relevant administrative support experience. – In-depth understanding of the entire MS Office suite. – Ability to organize daily workload by priorities. – Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. – A proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making skills. – Professional level verbal and written communications skills. – At least 2 Years work experience in Communications field. – Strong writing and verbal communications. – Ability to clearly communicate complex messages to a variety of audiences. – Excellent communication, writing and editing skills in English. – Evidence of past work (including videos, scripts, blog posts, articles etc). – Experience developing and managing social media campaigns across channels such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. – Ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure. – Ability and willingness to travel when necessary with short notice. – Team spirit. – Monitor CEO and user engagement and suggest content optimization. – Degree in any field. An MSc degree would be an added advantage.
MODE OF APPLICATION:
If you think you are a fit, kindly fill this form. Only successful applicants will be contacted.
The Nigerian Police Force has acknowledged the receipt of a Freedom of Information request by a coalition of anti-corruption and social accountability civil society organisations to provide details of N1Billion allocated and disbursed for the supply and installation of police transit camp buildings and rapid response squad, including procurements from 2018 till date.
Follow The Money, SERAP, BudgIT and Enough is Enough (EIE) cosigned the letter following the investigation and publication by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), of an alleged misappropriation of N1 Billion allocated for sham police transit camps project in some states in the North.
In the FoI letter dated 13th of December 2021, the CSOs noted that “having observed that the welfare of the police officers is seemingly grossly underfunded and has become an issue of national concern despite the huge allocations to the security parastatal, it has become expedient to request these details.”
The letter further reads in part; the Nigerian Police Force receives annual budgetary allocations by the Federal Government of Nigeria and state governments alike to support their operations and welfare which in turn has a significant effect on the state of security of the nation.
“These police camps were intended to be a response to heightened insecurity including the violent invasion of herdsmen in Guma, Benue where over 70 people were killed and crops, farms and houses destroyed,” the FIJ report revealed.
The reputation of the Nigerian Police is sullied already, which makes it more urgent for the Inspector General to respond to our call for accountability by providing the details requested. This year alone, the National Assembly approved a N74 billion Police budget that captures infrastructure, training and retraining of personnel of the police. The security of our nation will continue to deteriorate significantly if the loopholes in our security architecture are not addressed,” Follow The Money Founder, Hamzat Lawal stated.
Despite years of funding, the services of the Nigerian Police Force continues to deteriorate as a result of greed, poor welfare and ill-equipped personnel which has resulted in an alarming increase in corruption within the force.
In line with the Freedom of Information Act, the CSOs have now requested that the Nigerian Police Force provide details of the N1billion allocation within 7 days of receiving the letter.
Connected Development [CODE] is a non-governmental organisation that is building the largest social accountability movement and empowering marginalised communities across Africa. We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building the capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable. To further drive our messages and amplify the voices of grassroots communities, we are looking for competent hands to help expand our footprints and drive value through online and offline content. The role will support the communications team to shape CODE’s content and communications strategy.
Requirements
MBA or Advanced Degree in Communications, Marketing or related field.
5+ years corporate or development communications work experience
Extensive list of media contacts.
Knowledge of strong brand standards across all communications channels.
Skills
Strong and confident leadership.
Awareness and proficiency with communications technologies.
Experience in stakeholder, PR and Media Management
Experience with NGOs, CSOs
Clear and concise communication with team members and senior management.
An ability to work fluidly across multiple projects and tasks.
A solid understanding of quality assurance as part of the visual identity process
Responsibilities
Oversee CODE’s entire communications and advocacy activities.
Assemble and oversee a diversely skilled communications team.
Responsible for crisis management and preemptive planning while maintaining an awareness of possible risks and threats.
Manage media relations; communications budget and ensure quality control of all information released.
Determine communications strategies direction, public relations and act as spokesperson on behalf of the Organisation.
Build, increase and manage relationships with government representatives, journalists, and stakeholders.
Create content for corporate materials, in-house correspondence and technical documentation.
Create and proofread internal and external communication documentations before publishing.
Take lead in dissemination of communication materials to relevant stakeholders
Oversee communications activities by Chapter Leads and persons in charge of Follow The Money Radio.
Support other Departments in media and communications related capacity building and ensuring that this is integrated within programmes.
Develop and oversee communications work plans for all campaigns and projects while promoting brand values
Oversee content for monthly newsletters, periodical press releases, briefing notes, backgrounders, features, media talking points, question and answer documents
Method of Application:
Send your CV, a cover letter and 5 links of your best works to hr@connecteddevelopment.org.
Connected Development [CODE] is a non-government organization [NGO] whose mission is to empower marginalized communities in Africa.
Since 2012, we have strengthened local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable through Follow The Money. CODE provides marginalized and vulnerable communities with resources to amplify their voices with independence and integrity while providing the communities with information that ushers social and economic progress.
Overview
We are looking for a crucial member of the Finance team with good communication skills, and who has a keen interest to gain experience and assist in bringing CODE’s vision to implementation.
Requirements
Minimum of a Degree in Finance, Accounting or other related courses; ICAN or ACCA is a plus
5-7 years experience in accounting and/ or financial analysis
Ability to synergize large data into Reports or actionable information
Knowledge of financial reporting tools
Skills
Strong demonstrated use of google docs, sheets etc.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with Management and high level partners or donors.
Decision making, business management and analytical skills.
Experience with NGOs, CSOs
Honesty, hard work ethics, and reliability.
An ability to work flexibly across multiple projects and tasks.
Great attention to detail, highly organized.
Responsibilities
Monitor the day-to-day financial operations within the company (payroll, invoicing, and other transactions)
Prepare monthly and quarterly management reporting
Participate in strategic data analysis, research, and modeling for Management
Support project analysis, validation of plans, and ad-hoc requests
Manage the CODE’s financial accounting, monitoring, and reporting systems
Ensure compliance with accounting policies and regulatory requirements
Co-leading and supervise daily transactions into the Accounting System
Co-leading the preparation of all project budget proposals and overall Annual Budget
Co-leading the preparation of monthly cash flow statement and Forecast and Variance Report
Review and Supervise Cash Management
Any other duties as may be assigned by the Finance Director
Method of Application:
Send your CV and cover letter to hr@connecteddevelopment.org. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
With its unique approach of training and empowering gender advocates, Nigeria’s leading civil society organization, Connected Development (CODE) is taking peculiar steps towards eradicating gender-based violence in northern Nigeria, focusing on Kano State.
On November 9, the organization announced the launch of the second phase of its Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender-Based Violence in Kano (GMAA-K) campaign, highlighting its target to develop a multi-year Kano State Action Plan to end all forms of gender-based violence as well as drive the adoption and integration of the Violence against person prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child’s Right Act.
The GMAA-K campaign which is supported by the Canadian High Commission is a direct response to the menace of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that is common practice in many states across Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria has the third highest rates of SGBV in the world, with data showing that at least 30 percent of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 have experienced one or multiple forms of sexual abuse.
These numbers are a representation of deep-rooted gender discrimination and a notorious culture of impunity – where access to justice and support remains a challenge for victims and perpetrators often walk free. The challenge is further heightened by a lack of laws and policies to protect the most vulnerable and punish convicted offenders.
While speaking on the organization’s approach of extirpating SGBV, Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of CODE revealed that during the course of the first phase of the project, the Kano State government opted to harmonize the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law.
AG High Commissioner to Canada and his team, CODE’s Chief Executive and his team
“For the first quarter of this year, we worked towards the adoption of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Kano and recorded success as the government opted to harmonize/incorporate the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law, in order to reconcile provisions and have a single comprehensive law that addresses SGBV; the legal document is pending validation and enactment by the Kano state House of Assembly.”
He further stated that the new phase of the project will propel the validation exercise of the VAPP and Penal Code Law and equally work towards enhancing women’s rights.
On his part, the Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Kevin Tokaron, submitted that SGBV is a crisis in Nigeria that must be condemned, stating that this campaign is both timely and necessary.
“It’s a crisis in Nigeria that we must condemn and work together to eliminate. For the past few years, we’ve seen a number of states in Nigeria pass and start to implement the VAPP Act which has given us hope but not all states have achieved this important milestone and much more work is needed, which is where our partnership with CODE comes into play. With Canada’s support, CODE will continue to galvanize mass action against SGBV in Kano State by ensuring the passage of the VAPP and Child’s Rights Act.”
Speaking on the health implication of SGBV and emphasizing the need for education, Dr Halimah Nuhu Sanda, who was also present at the press conference held at CODE’s office, said that SGBV must also be viewed as a public health issue because many victims are left traumatized after being abused and not enough support is provided for them.
“SGBV is often regarded as a human rights violation which is correct but it should also be viewed as a mental health issue because victims are often left traumatized after sexual violence and it affects their mental state. When no mental health support is provided to victims, we harbour a mentally oppressed society, she concluded.”
Follow The Money sensitized over 500 students of the Federal University of Oye, Ekiti, on public expenditure, an anti-corruption drive for good governance. At the Campus Tour organised by our team, CODE urged Nigerian students and youths to exert their energy on taking ownership of government projects in their neighbourhood and expose any corruption in the execution.
There is the need for citizens, especially youths to track government budgets and ensure the full implementation by following the process towards putting an end to misappropriations and other corrupt practices in the country.
With support from the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Follow The Money is using the iFollowTheMoney campus tour to advocate for a youth-inclusive governance where, from the academic space, young people can demand accountability and transparency from their elected govt reps at all levels, promoting citizen participation in governance to curb the menace of corruption in our society.
They are also able to accelerate improved public services in basic education, primary healthcare and provision of basic amenities for citizens. CODE believes that young people are representing constituencies in their communities, State and nationales. They can be champions of accountability and transparency in government projects and spending. CODE, through Follow The Money, uses the opportunity to recruit more activists and advocates for a better society.
Since 2019, Follow The Money has been using the iFollowTheMoney campus tour Initiative to advocate for inclusive governance and social accountability in the academic space. Over 3000 students in 5 Nigerian universities have been sensitized and empowered to demand for inclusion, good governance & improved public service delivery from their elected representatives. A large number of them are actively following the money.
On tracking COVID funds in Nigeria, Followthemoney and BudgIT organised a platform for civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to discuss and share learnings gathered from tracking COVID funds and assessing the state of the Nigerian healthcare system in battling the global pandemic.
The purpose of the coalition meeting was to understand the possible challenges CSOs faced while monitoring government’s responsiveness to the COVID pandemic, share experiences and learnings on how those challenges were surmounted leading to positive results. Discussions also provided insights for adequate analysis and strategic ideas of how to better engage the government for accountability.
Discussions also provided insights for adequate analysis and strategic ideas of how to better engage the government for accountability. CODE revealed findings from its report on the condition of Primary Healthcare Centres across the geo-political zones in Nigeria. It noted that 80% of these PHCs were in deplorable conditions and were unfit to administer vaccines. BudgIT’s research shows COVID-19 accountability mechanisms, challenges with procurement processes, government’s fiscal capacity & options for future emergency fund management.
Recall Follow The Money and BudgIT launched the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP), an initiative that seeks to promote accountability and transparency through the tracking of COVID-19 intervention funds across 7 African countries. Both organizations leverated their social accountability platforms, as well as international chapters in other six focus African countries to activate a Pan-African tracking system for all COVID-19 funds received and donated to these countries.
Take aways from the CSO coalition meeting are progressive ways to build corporation and alliance among CSO for better actions, demand good governance, transparency and accountability in public service delivery. #FollowCOVIDMoney#Account4COVID
We live in a world that is transforming, where norms are disrupted at the speed of light. However, a dimension of disruption that I still look forward to is the transfer of presidential power to the womenfolk.
For centuries now, we have lived with the paradox of ‘Man-Power’ on this planet. There have been successes recorded in leaps and bounds but we must admit that things have also fallen apart. More than 10 million people die of hunger every year; poverty, gender inequality and now the climate crises are some of the toughest issues we tackle daily in a world where we celebrate technology advancements. Men have been at the forefront of combating these global issues, with the support of women, of course. However, a disruption that must not be delayed any longer is one where a woman is given the opportunity to take the reins of highest power, especially in Africa where talks of a woman President are rare and deemed unacceptable.
Women may be seen as the softer gender but they are powerful beyond our imaginations. This is why I strongly believe that women must be given the opportunity to hold absolute leadership positions such as the Presidency. Now is the time to not only work for a change of narrative in women leadership, but to also embrace the change when it comes.
I must mention that the relevance and value of the Nigerian woman is not up for debate. The feminine gender has blazed the trail in every sector – in business, education innovation, civil society, the new “green industry” (renewable energy) and even the entertainment industry is abuzz with their prowess. However, one sector that continues to witness a dearth of women leadership is the political sector. Over the years, thousands of women have played pivotal roles in electing men into political offices, while voting in a handful of women. To put things in perspective, in the last Nigerian general elections, women accounted for over 40 million registered voters, making up about 47.14 percent of the total eligible voters, yet women were poorly represented in politics.
From my experience as a social accountability activist, I have not witnessed anything trickier than allowing a previously marginalized class into an enclosed political niche. My colleagues and I ran the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign and I came face to face with entrenched biases nurtured over the years, which have festered into a gangrene that now threatens national growth and development. The campaign, however, was successful. In hindsight, I am convinced that we could break the glass ceiling by embracing the reality that both men and women can drive the call for a female president of Nigeria. Call it #NotTooFeminineToRun or #HelpWomenWin, the woman must stand up, organize and strategize, before she can buck the trend.
To be fair, women have often struggled for leadership roles in a male-dominated world. They have to deal with challenges that are beyond their control such as patriarchy and deeply-rooted traditions and social conditioning that insist women play second fiddle. While I call on women to arise, I acknowledge that men must also give unflinching support to women’s cause. There are so many examples of women leaders across the globe who have thrived and built their countries. Nigeria must not be left behind but must aboard this ship.
Hamzat Lawal pays a courtesy call to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a beacon of hope in Africa, yet 61 years after independence, we cannot boast of a woman occupying either the presidency or any other high political office. While the country is known to be a culturally diverse, modern and cosmopolitan African nation, we are still backward in terms of gender equity.
The last National Convention of the main opposition political party, the People’s Democracy Party (PDP), was an epic example. Of all the twenty-one National Working Committee seats in the PDP, only one was won by a woman–the Women Leader seat. This means that in practical terms, no seat was conceded to a woman as the women leader’s seat was typical.
It is time to vote women into elective offices where they can make real changes, including the office of the President of Nigeria. There are exemplary women in leadership who have blazed exceptional trails and are presidential materials in their own right.
It was under Okonjo-Iweala’s tenure as two-time Finance Minister that Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa. She is now at the helm of affairs at the World Trade Organization (WTO), elected at the right time to move forward an institution that was beset with huge challenges as the global community struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amina J. Mohammed, now the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, led the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) interventions in Nigeria, and also rallied stakeholders for building the post-2015 infrastructure for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mechanism.
The glass ceiling is not easy to crack, though. In the United States of America, Hillary Clinton nearly made history when she almost clinched the highest office in 2016. She was treading the path paved by female presidential aspirants before her such as Margaret Chase Smith, 1964; Shirley Chisholm, 1972; Patricia Schroeder, 1988; Elizabeth Dole, 2000; Carol Moseley Braun, 2004.
We must not lose sight of the goal and must find a way to liberate women for crucial seats in politics, including the presidency. However, the strategy can be like that of the #NotTooYoungToRun (the Age Reduction Act), which was actually a legislative reform aimed at amending the constitution to accommodate young people in elective offices. It was led by young people from different fields with different capacities, strengths and resources. They were resilient and would not be distracted. By the time the bills were presented in the Senate and at the House of Representatives, the movement had already engaged the legislators at the state levels. Young people drove this initiative because it was in their interest.
Now, for us to have a Madam President, women need to come together too. We can take lessons from America. EMILY’s List was founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm as a political action committee that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. The power of money in political campaigns is very important to electing women, so EMILY which is an acronym for Early Money Is Like Yeast because “it makes the dough rise” is a reference to the convention of political fundraising which theorizes that receiving many donations early in a race helps to attract subsequent donors. It now has over two million members.
In 1986, early financial support from EMILY’s List helped elect Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the first female Democrat elected to the United States Senate in her own right (not appointed or filling a seat of a deceased husband). It endorsed 31 candidates in 2006, eight of whom were victorious. In the 2016 election cycle, it raised $60million, much of which was earmarked for Hillary Clinton, through its “Madam President campaign” initiative.
EMILY’s list chose to focus on raising money early for women in politics because women were not getting money from the Democratic party and that hindered them from winning political races despite that they were qualified. The money raised prior to campaigns helped authenticate the movement and was crucial to attracting more funding from philanthropists and investors later on.
In Nigeria, the way Feminist Coalition 2020 raised and disbursed money during the #EndSARS protests showed that women over here could deploy the American strategy for female politicians in Nigeria.
We must applaud the ElectHer movement, a progressive women’s political advancement organization in Nigeria. In March 2021, ElectHer launched its Agenda35 campaign unveiling its $10 million campaign fund with $2 million secured to support 35 women to run for offices in 2023. While this is commendable effort and a great start, we must not rest at this junction.
Infact, to record greater success, aspiring women leaders in Nigeria must priorities data gathering. People need to know how Nigerian’s vote, and who they want to vote. It is time to change the narrative. Women must resist being relegated to the back and must take the higher political success through strategies that are sustainable. They must resist being used as political tools by their male counterparts. They need to see through the charade and reject empty promises and paltry gifts of male political machinery and support their fellow womenfolk in order to achieve gender balance and equity in the society. Men need to support the cause of women. In less than two years from now, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will end. The question is, would women be among the gladiators fighting to save our democracy?
Hamzat Lawal is a #HeForShe advocate, and activist that leads grassroots campaigns across Africa. He is the Founder of Connected Development [CODE] and Follow The Money.
One of our FollowTheMoney investigative journalists, Emmanuel Ujiadughele, was awarded the Best Reporter by the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Osun State, for uncovering the rot in the State’s Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) after Follow The Money investigated the condition of Nigerian PHCs to combat the #COVID19 virus and Government’s level of responsiveness to healthcare services during the pandemic.
In Osun State, the Follow The Money team observed that six primary healthcare centres were in terrible conditions, revealing that 2 of the 6 Primary Health Centres could not access electricity. Medical practitioners were subjected to the use of candles and torches to provide illumination. Surprisingly, these two primary healthcares were revitalized by the Osun State Government through the Save One million Lives Project funded by the World Health Organisation.
Primary Health Centres are supposed to provide basic quality healthcare service to average citizens. In Nigeria, many are in deplorable states and often unable to provide basic medical care to community members. Poor facilities, inadequate staffing and outdated drugs have led to careless and needless loss of lives. Highly suspicious patients have had to travel long distances to the city for proper medical attention.
Concerned by the condition of the PHCs, Follow The Money and BudgIT set out to track the state of Primary Health Centres in fifteen states – Cross River, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kebbi and Osun.
FTM investigative journalist, Emmanuel Ujiadughele, sighted the document containing the anomalies of the tracked PHCs and immediately showed interest in investigating the state of these healthcare facilities. Emmanuel visited the centres as an undercover journalist and witnessed how these healthcare centres, even though revitalized, delivered babies using torch torches and candles because they could not access electricity. Health workers in many PHCs either depend on rainwater because there is no power to pump water from the borehole or search for water in the wells in the community.
Emmanuel Ujiadughele – a reporter of Rave 91.7FM in Osun published an exclusive report on the rising menace. The state government initially denied the possibility of the injustices detailed in the report, however, glaring evidence on the deplorable state of Atiba and Okinni Primary Health Centres, staff shortage and how the health centres were cut off the national grid, circulated the news. Following this exposure, brand new power generators were supplied to the Atiba and Okinni Primary Health Centres, a few weeks later.
On the occasion of the 2021 Osun Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Week, Emmanuel Ujiadughele received the award of the Best Reporter as a result of his special report on the state of the Primary Health Centres in Osun State.
The award winning journalist thanked the Connected Development (CODE) and Urban Alert for their relentless efforts to bring change to our society. “I look forward to more collaborations that will put pressure on the government and its agencies to fulfill their promises”, Emmanuel said.
