. . . Development through partnership No. 6, Feb. 2015

A quarterly publication of DFID programmes in Lagos State

In this Edition

Public Presentation of Lagos State Development Plan (2012-2025):

Citizens Mediation Centre Stakeholders’ Forum and 15 Years Anniversary – p2 --------------

…A Step to Achieving the Vision of a Model Mega City

DEEPEN rolls out Mobile Money Pilots for School fee payment – p3 -------------Good handling practices for perishable produce intervention – p3 -------------SAVI partners INEC Lagos to promote Disability Inclusion in 2015 General Election – p4 --------------The Quintessential ESSPIN Team Leader Olabode Oyeneye passes away! – p6 -------------PATHS 2 partners with the private sector to provide health services to the poor in Lagos State- p6

State and Development partners at the LSDP Launch

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN on th Tuesday, 16 December, 2014 at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Ikeja publicly presented the Lagos State Development Plan 2012-2025. Speaking at the occasion he stated that quite a number of the items that form the bedrock of the Development Pan are already being implemented. Governor Fashola explained that “the investment pillars upon which the Development plan is built upon is the people, stressing that everyone has a part to play in its realization”. He added that, the State Government cannot afford to sit down and continue to emphasize on past achievements but is more focused on what lies ahead which is bigger than what has been achieved. This, he said, is why the state envisaged what Lagos would be like by 2025 in the Plan.

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The event was attended by a wide range of stakeholders including the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, the Secretary to the State Government Dr Ranti Adebule, the Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget Mr Ben Akabueze, Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions Mrs Florence Oguntuase, several Permanent Secretaries, Directors, Development partners and several invited guests. Speaking at the event Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke the State Programme Manager SPARC in his goodwill message said that “the LSDP presents an opportunity for LASG to be more strategic, forward looking and responsive in meeting the desires and aspirations of Lagosians”. (Continue on page 2)

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DFID (South West Regional Office) collaborates with Ondo State Government to implement mechanisms for Development Goals – p7

Women Applaud Introduction of Point of Payment Machine for Revenue Collection Implementation of GEMS3 tax intervention is ongoing in Ikeja Local Government with the introduction of the new payment mechanism – use of Point of Payment machine for revenue collection. At the official launch at Ikeja Local Government Secretariat, the Iyaloja (Female Market leader) of Alade Market Shopping Mall, Princess Adiat Apena explained the advantages of the PoP machine to other market women. (Continue on page 2)

Contd. Public Presentation of Lagos State Development Plan (2012-2025):

Specifically SPARC provided technical expertise that enabled LASG to develop the LSDP. The involvement of SPARC in supporting the developing of the Lagos State Development Plan was borne out of the conviction that to achieve the vision of a model mega city, the State requires a befitting forward looking comprehensive overarching Development Plan.

Development Plan provides an overarching long term strategy to guide developments in the state towards agreed Vision for Lagos by Year 2025 and also provide a framework through which all sectors of the economy can direct their energies to improve the quality of life of the people in the State”. The State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze who made a power point presentation of the major highlights of Lagos State Development Plan 2012-2025 said “the Development Plan should not be seen as just a government plan but a framework for the people of Lagos State”. He added that with the development plan, Lagos would provide a conducive environment for business and the support that encourages the private sector to play its envisaged role.

Also speaking at the event is the DFID Regional Coordinator, Mr Adesina Fagbenro who gave a goodwill message drawing attention to the need for good Communication, Coordination and Monitoring & Evaluation towards the successful Implementation of the plan. The Special Adviser on Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Iyabowale Aluko said in a welcome address that, “the

Citizens’ Mediation Centre Stakeholders’ Forum and 15th Year Anniversary Justice for All Programme has been supporting the Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC) Lagos to improve its capacity to provide access to fair, equitable and speedy dispute resolution systems to the poor and disadvantaged citizens who cannot afford to go to the formal justice system. rd On the 23 of September 2014, the Lagos State Citizens Mediation Centre held a Stakeholders Forum celebrating th its 15 Year Anniversary and launched its 3rd strategic plan. The occasion was well attended by the traditional rulers, directors of CMCs from 16 states, representatives from the justice sector agencies, DFID, and users of the CMCs. Mr. Ben Mellor,

DFID Head of office spoke on how impressed he was with the CMC data and encouraged consolidation to ensure the progress is sustained and the Centre keeps making progress for others to learn and follow. The Centre has witnessed exponential growth from 5 Centres and 60 professional and non-professional staff in 2009 to the current 14 Centres with 149 professional and non-professional staff. The CMC has also been able to resolve a substantial number of disputes in tenancy matters, family matters, properties inheritance, land disputes, employer and employee, monetary claims etc. It has succeeded in decongesting the courts and providing succour to the residents of Lagos State.

Rape walk organized by Mirabel Centre

Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Risikat Akiyode and other Government official after the rape walk at the Deputy Governor's Office

Contd. Women Applaud Introduction of Point of Payment Machine for Revenue Collection She noted that the new payment mechanism is a welcome initiative as the transparent nature of the POP will ensure that they will no longer have to pay excessive or illegitimate tariffs. In her words “the idea of PoP is brilliant and safe. It saves our time because some of us used to go to bank to pay for the council revenue but now we will just be in our shops and pay with the POP now”. According to her, there are more women than men who engage in small scale businesses in Alade Market and their engagement with LGA officials has sometimes been challenging. She emphasized that the PoP system with its benefits of transparency – knowing what to pay, how to pay, and when to pay – “will make life easier for us all”.

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DEEPEN rolls out Mobile Money Pilots for School Fee Payments Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN) is partnering with financial service providers to roll out mobile money pilots to

Bank and the Association for Formidable Educational Development to pilot the scheme in low-income schools in Alimosho, the most popular local and

government in Lagos state. Representatives of DEEPEN Stanbic Bank has been meeting

help schools and parents improve their cash flows. This is as a result of DEEPEN research on ‘Schools as a Sustainable Business’ which revealed private schools’ challenges in accessing formal finance and provided previously unavailable information on the sector.

with school owners and parents to enlighten them about Mobile Money and register them as users. Specifically, the scheme provides parents the flexibility and convenience of paying school fees using their

Mobile Money enables parents to pay schools fees using their mobile phones. The phone number serves as the user’s account number and the platform for saving and transferring money. Users can also deposit and withdraw money via several agents and ATM locations. DEEPEN has partnered with Stanbic IBTC

Good Handling Practices for Perishable Produce

mobile phones. It also facilitates improved revenue for low-income schools, helping them build their financial history towards accessing longer-term finance. Other benefits for both parties include the safety and security of transactions and reduced payment default.

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Intervention

**A fresh produce marketing agent is giving GEMS4 its complete business model for the establishment of SME road-side markets where the full transaction of delivery, selling, buying, and packing & dispatching etc. is carried out, involving about 10 tonnes of product per day. This can be adapted to suit Nigerian needs.

Under its Good Handling Practices for Perishable Produce Initiative, GEMS4 facilitated a study tour to South Africa in November 2014 involving the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Bank of Agriculture and the National association of perishable produce dealers. The National Association of perishable produce dealers are tomato dealers in Mile 12 market in Lagos and the tour objective was to build their capacity, facilitate business linkages for market improvements in Lagos Mile12 market. The team visited the city of Tshwane (Pretoria) which operates the second largest fresh produce market in South Africa. During the tour, the team was exposed to the numerous business operations within Tshwane’s fresh produce sector which if employed will lead to better produce packaging, more hygienic produce handling and general improvement in food safety standards. Apart from stimulating the interest of the stakeholders in agribusiness opportunities, the following were achieved: 

** ZZ2 (South Africa's largest producer of tomatoes) is giving GEMS4 its complete business model for a high-tech pack house.

** Another marketing agent is giving the project its complete business model for a low-tech labour intensive pack-house, involving about 20 tonnes per day. **ManStrat (a developer of internet based Agricultural Decision Support Systems) has agreed to give the Nigerian Bank of Agriculture free access to their Decision Support Software.

**City of Tshwane has agreed to give GEMS4 its complete business model, including income statements, business process flowcharts, etc. This gives the project a blueprint from which to adapt / scale up / scale down a market design that will be appropriate for Nigeria.

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SAVI partners INEC Lagos to promote Disability Inclusion in 2015 General Election …I appreciate SAVI for their support and interventions on disability issues in Lagos State particularly their effort on ‘inclusivity of the 2015 election’- Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola (immediate past REC, INEC, Lagos) Over the years, elections are being conducted and people cast their vote without consciously putting on mind Persons with disabilities (PWDs), the aged, youth and women amongst others. Of more importance is the teaming population of PWDs which are said to be about 20% of the world’s population (World Disability Report, 2012). These categories of people have not adequately participated in past electioneering exercises due to communication gaps, poor access to polling units and other factors beyond their control. SAVI facilitated several advocacies with INEC on the need for inclusivity in the electoral process and had series of stakeholder forums to harness the voice of the PWDs to represent their yearnings. The 2015 general election poses to turn a new leaf as SAVI and its CS partners now partner with INEC to increase the participation of persons with disability in the forthcoming general election. This is a positive change in practice in the electoral process as INEC now engages Civil Society groups to reach out to the various disability clusters (spinal cord injury, physically

aspirations of PWDs through media appearances, interviews and debates on inclusivity of the 2015 general election. SAVI has also with special attention to the PWDs. supported its partners (CSOs) to develop monitoring check list which will be used to monitor the level of inclusivity in the election. This monitoring checklist has been adopted at the National Level, INEC as well as in Lagos State amongst other South West States. The process is now being championed by INEC as INEC facilitates amongst other South West States. The process is now being championed by INEC as INEC facilitates

Mr. Adekunle Ogunmola, Immediate past REC INEC Lagos, Representative from Nigeria Guild of Editors, State Programme Officer, SAVI and its Civil Society Partners at a media launch of IEC materials on Inclusivity of electoral process in Lagos

challenged, deaf, blind, learning disability and leprosy survivors). The Immediate past INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola adduced to the fact that the Commission has restructured its programme to carve out a whole division for Voter Education and another, for Civil Society Organisations with special attention to the PWDs. As a way of ensuring participation of PWDs in the forthcoming election, SAVI in partnership with INEC Lagos produced inclusive Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials during the distribution of the PVC, CVR as well as produced and distributed disability inclusive jingles to Radio and TV stations in Lagos. The media has also been a partner in advocacy; this further airs the voice and

stakeholder forums which brings on board all disability cluster groups, artisans, CSOs, NGOs to raise awareness on inclusivity of the election. To this end, sign language interpreters have been engaged for the deaf to ensure effective communication for disability community.

L-R Sina Fagbenro-Byron, South West Regional Coordinator DFIDN, Ben Mellor, Head of Office, DFIDN addressing participants at the media launch, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, immediate past REC, INEC, Lagos, Representative from Nigerian Guild of Editors

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Photo Speaks

Better Auditing Iyaloja, Alade Shopping Mall, Ikeja addressing participants on use of the PoP System by GEMS 3

Preventing Violence Rape walk organized by J4A and Mirabel Centre

Promoting collaborative effort for excellence in Lagos Legislature

A step to achieving a Model Mega City Mr Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke, State Programme Manager SPARC delivering a goodwill message at the public presentation of LSDP

Team from Lagos State House of Assembly led by the Clerk on courtesy visit to SAVI

Towards better information on education in Lagos

More Efficient Public Procurement Process The Board and Senior Management of Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, SAVI and SPARC at a retreat

Media forum organized by DEEPEN

Better Productivity Support from GEMS 3

1Better productivity

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The Quintessential ESSPIN Team Leader Olabode Oyeneye passes away! Olabode Oyeneye led the ESSPIN Team from January 2014 till early 2015 when he passed on after a brief illness. Bode as he was fondly called was never one to allow challenges stop the improvement and access to basic education which was ESSPIN’s overarching goal. He lived it, loved it and would stop at nothing in ensuring that interventions were trialed and implemented to the letter. He stood for what was ideal. He joined the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) as an Education Quality Specialist from the civil service in Lagos. This was about the time when the School Improvement Programme was taking its root in the state. He went on later to become the State Team Leader of the programme through sheer work and dedication always putting the work first before comfort. Bode never thought of anyone’s work as insignificant. He would always make out time in order to have a firsthand grasp of the peculiarities of that work, its challenges and always seeking ways to add value. What many may never understand is how such a strong character he was often soft spoken but commanding such authority in quietly observing proceedings. In a room of rowdy discussants where opinions where being bantered and emphasized, Bode’s voice would never be a part of the loud ones. He would always wait for calm before he made his own comments; soft still words not disturbing the calm ambience of a meeting.

Late Olabode Oyeneye

His engagement with different stakeholders whether at the Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board or even among ESSPIN and DEEPEN colleagues saw Bode exhibiting these often cherished skills of diplomacy. Never Pushy. Under his leadership, strides were made in Lagos state’s education sector, the effects of which reverberate through the professional development of staff of the ministry of education, SUBEB and all the 1007 public schools in the state. He built a solid structure of State School Improvement Team members and School Improvement Officers who are impacting classroom processes and primary education in Lagos State. Up until his death, Olabode Oyeneye led a highly skilled team of professionals that make up the ESSPIN team, colleagues who cannot come to terms with the fact that he has left them for good. In their hearts Bode lives on. In the smiles of all pupils who now receive improved teaching and learning in Lagos Public primary schools, Bode lives on!

Special Feature

PATHS2 is partnering with the private sector to provide health services to the poor in Lagos State Aishat Akinpelu is a 30 year old mother of three residing in Ifako-Gbagada, a suburb of Lagos, Western Nigeria. Aisha’s life is one of poverty as she struggles to eke out a living as a petty trader selling fruits along the roadside. When Aisha was pregnant with her third child, she resolved to deliver her baby at home as she could not afford to register for antenatal care and deliver her baby at the health facility.

Aishat Akinpelu with her baby during her post natal visit to Aniyun Hospital, Ifako Gbagada

According to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, 27 percent of women in southern part of Nigeria cited cost as the greatest impediment to delivering at a health facility. To improve access to quality healthcare services for poor households, (Continue on page 7)

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Contd. PATHS 2 is partnering with the Private Sector…

PATHS2 began partnering with private health facilities in Lagos State in June 2012. According to the medical director of Aniyun hospital, Dr Wale Ogunbadejo, PATHS2 has commenced the trip to better health for Nigerians by engaging the private health facilities. This view is reinforced by the fact that more than 70 per cent of all health facilities in Lagos and Nigeria are privately owned. “I believe strongly in this Public-Private Partnership by PATHS2 because it is highly beneficial to the poor people of the communities.

DFID Nigeria (South West Regional Office) collaborates with Ondo State Government to implement mechanisms for Development Goals

Regional Intervention in the South West

Although majority of states in Nigeria are off-track on most of the MDGs, the SW states and Kwara, have since the mid-2010, arguably been making good progress towards these goals, especially in the areas of Maternal Mortality, Gender equity, Poverty Reduction and Access to Education. This progress in the South West and Kwara can be attributable to: **Retaining MDGs in the news and as priority on state development agenda **Improved attention to data collection and specific tracking of indicators

The 2014 South West Regional MDG conference was th held in Ondo State on the 15 of December 2014. The conference sought to bring to closure the annual tracking of Millennium Development Goals (2015) attainment in the South West and Kwara’s states of Nigeria as well as to deliberate on and propose post2015 Development strategies and aspirations in the specific areas of their Governance, Communications, Coordination and Monitoring & Evaluation, collectively referred to as the Implementation Mechanisms for development delivery. Brief history of DFID SW MDG Conferences: In year 2010 at the maiden SW MDG conference which was held in Lagos the focus was on State-Based Disaggregation and MDG Status, while in 2011 held in Ekiti the theme was on

To benefit, a patient has to reside within the community where the health facility is located, and be able to show that he or she is unable to afford care at the full service charge. The patient has to come to the health facility with a letter from the Ward Health Committee (WHC) which verifies the patient’s background and income status, except in cases of emergency where treatment is started based on calls from the WHC which is always in contact with the facility.

Lead participants from the south west states and Kwara i.e Permanent Secretaries and Heads of MDG offices, DFID Consultants and Staff. The Occasion was chaired by the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Kola Ademujimi, sitting at the center

Year 2012 we held State Statistics. The next Strategies for Improved the conference in Ogun state with Benchmarking State Development Projects with MDGs while in 2013 and held in Kwara where we specifically looked at Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation. The 2014 conference held in Ondo interrogated Implementation Mechanisms for Development Delivery: Coordination; Governance; Communication and Monitoring & Evaluation and made recommendations on post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation.

**Improved role of Civil Society, in driving demand-side governance **Increased Competitive Governance amongst the states of the SW&K development of good Global partnerships. (DFID, WHO, UNICEF, CIDA, MacArthur Foundation, Bill Gates, JICA etc.

Drawing from the lessons and experiences DFID has, with the aid of evidence, proposed and in some cases facilitated the adoption of significant initiatives that could strengthen the delivery of the SDGs which encapsulates the Post 2015 development agenda. Governments need to put effective structures in place to ensure that development initiatives are properly Overseen (Governance), Communicated, Coordinated and Monitored to ensure there is a linkage between public expenditure and expected goals.

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DFID Programmes in Lagos Programmes

Sectors

Enhancing Financial

Financial

Information and Access

Inclusion

Enhancing Nigerian

Business

Advocacy for a Better

Advocacy &

Business Environment

PPD

Enhancing Nigeria’s

HIV/AIDS

www.efina.org.ng

enable-nigeria.com

Response to HIV/AIDS Education Sector

Education

Support Programme in www.esspin.org

www.gemsnigeria. com

J4A

Nigeria Growth & Employment

Business

in States (GEMS3)

Environment

Growth & Employment

Wholesale &

in States (GEMS4)

Retail

Justice for All

Justice & AntiCorruption

www.j4a-nigeria.org

Partnership for www.paths2.org

Important dates to note

Health Services

Transforming Health

Feb 20 World Day of Social Justice Mar 8 International Women’s Day Mar 24 International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims April 7 World Health Day April 25 World Malaria Day May 3 World Press Freedom Day July 11 World Population Day

Systems II States Accountability

Voice &

and Voice Initiative

Accountability

State Partnership for

Governance

Accountability, sparc-nigeria.com

Responsiveness and Capability Support to National

Malaria

Malaria Programme malariaconsortium.org

(SuNMaP) Voice for Change (V4C)

For more information on how UK DFID is providing UKaid to support development in Lagos State and Nigeria, visit www.dfid.gov.uk/nigeria

Adolescent Girls and Women Empowerment

For more information on how UK DFID is providing UKaid to support development in Lagos State and Nigeria, visit www.dfid.gov.uk/nigeria

Give us your feedback We will still like to hear from you. Please let us have your comments, views, opinions, suggestions, enquiries, etc.

(f) 2015 DFID @ Work in the South West is a joint publication of DFID Programmes in Lagos State. 8 For comments or enquiries, please email Oluwatoyin Nwiido: [email protected] Editorial Team: Gift Akadi (SPARC), Yemisi Joel-Osebor (GEMS 3), Margaret Fagboyo (DFID), Enene Elayo (GEMS 4) and Tolase Olatinwo (DEEPEN)

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