OXFAM Partners Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to improve social cohesion in Michika LGA of Adamawa State.

Oxfam in Nigeria, an international NGO working to achieve a Nigeria without inequality and poverty, where every voice counts, has launched an innovative 8-month intervention in Adamawa State. The goal is to improve citizens’ participation in governance and strengthen social cohesion through inclusive and participatory community development planning across 16 wards of Michika Local Government Area (LGA) in Adamawa State.

The project, titled “Improving Social Cohesion through Community Development Planning (CDP) in 16 Wards of Michika LGA, Adamawa State,” is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This funding is part of their commitment to improving the socio-economic participation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Returnees, Host Communities, and other vulnerable groups in Northeast Nigeria. The project is implemented in partnership with the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) and the Center for Public Education and Mobilization for Development in Nigeria (CEPAD).

The project aims to target 1,280 direct and 239,400 indirect project participants. It seeks to establish a community-driven, integrated, and comprehensive approach to community development planning. This will leverage Adamawa State and Local Government Citizen’s Engagement and Participatory Planning (CEPP) Policies and implementation guidelines. The focus areas are as follows:

• Improve participatory engagement and planning between local communities, government, and stakeholders to achieve improved socio-economic outcomes for communities.
• Strengthen social cohesion through capacity building of stakeholders on inclusive planning, implementation, and monitoring of community development plans.

Over the course of 8 months, Oxfam and its partners will delve into the local governance structure of Michika to promote active citizenship and community participation in the governance process. Oxfam will incorporate gender-sensitive and transformative approaches that integrate intersectionality and diversities. This is to ensure the achievement of sustainable social cohesion and development across all aspects of the target communities. The project aims to transform the negative experiences of displacement into gains in terms of social and economic development. These gains will be mutually beneficial to the host communities, returnees, and internally displaced individuals. Thus, the interventions will be tailored to address the specific needs of target communities within Michika LGA, considering their unique contexts, strengths, and aspirations. 

This partnership also aims to strengthen the efforts of BMZ and GIZ in alleviating the suffering of people affected by the insurgency in Northeast Nigeria and to position Oxfam as a "knowledge hub and influencing organization" on food security, livelihood, gender justice, and the promotion of accountable governance.

ENDS