GADA Facilitates Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Visit To The Executive Governor Of Cross River
ActionAid Nigeria, an implementer of the Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Nigeria project deployed a Partnership Appraisal and Monitoring (PAM) exercise for Cross River State implementing partners on the project namely Gender And Development Action (GADA), Neighborhood Care-well Foundation (NCF) and Child Care and Adult Protection Initiative (CCAPI).
The aim was to assess the impact of the project’s capacity building and institutional strengthening from the project’s inception to date. This was done to gather feedback from each organization, their insights and perspective that will be crucial to ActionAid’s evaluation process. This assessment will significantly contribute to the understanding of the project’s achievements, challenges, and areas for improvement.
During the course of ActionAid’s visit for the PAM exercise, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), funders of the WVL project also visited Calabar in Cross River State for an interactive meeting with all partners on the WVL project. GADA facilitated the GAC visit to the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Commissioner for Commerce in the state. This visit was marked by a productive dialogue and collaborative spirit showcasing strong partnership with the government.
The meeting aimed to forge partnerships to drive sustainable development and amplify the voices of women and the most marginalized in Cross River State. H.E Prince Bassey Otu appreciated the amazing effort of the Canadian Government in supporting and empowering women in Cross River State. He commended the implementing Partners of the Women's Voice and Leadership (WVL) Nigeria Project which are Gender and Development Action (GADA), Child Care and Adult Protection Initiative (CCAPI), and Neighbourhood Care Foundation (NCF) who have been working towards impactful schemes for the beneficiaries.
Djifa Ahado, the Country Director, Global Affairs Canada, of the High Commission of Canada in her speech, said that the essence of the visit was to keep the Governor abreast of the efforts of the Canadian Government through the various implementing partners in the last decade in the state and the desired impact on women and girls as catalysts to poverty and economic growth.
She added that Cross River is among the states with the best impact, and that it is important to make sure that the Governor is aware of the different efforts they have been making and to see organizations that are supported by GAC continue to thrive in Cross River state and Nigeria at large, hence the need for greater partnership to sustain already existing programmes executed through the support of the Canadian Government.
At the meeting, challenges faced during project implementation and what can be done better was suggested by implementing partners to the GAC team. The GAC team expressed joy in the accomplishments of partners on the project and affirmed that the WVL Nigeria project was by far the biggest so far with a lot of impact.
Highlights of the meeting was an interactive session with local women’s rights organizations and the community-based organizations on the project and a session of exhibition of outputs, outcomes, results, and successes of interventions carried out by partners in display. GADA had its banner which displayed factsheet of its achievements on the project in the last 5 years.
The meeting ended with a networking session between partners, GAC team and other visitors and a cultural dance fanfare to the entertainment of all.
