Community-First Approach to Recovery
The Michika CDP is a direct response to the physical and psychological trauma caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014, which destroyed essential infrastructure like schools, water points, and health centers. Unlike traditional top-down development models, this plan was created through a "bottom-up" approach, empowering community members to actively participate in identifying their problems and brainstorming solutions. During two-day planning sessions held across 16 wards, residents came together to discuss and analyze their livelihoods, mapping out local resources and defining their vision for a better future.
A Vision for a Secure and Prosperous Michika
Participants in the CDP sessions envisioned a Michika with improved security, a stable power supply, good road networks, and well-equipped hospitals and schools. They also highlighted the importance of functional financial institutions to support local businesses, as the area currently lacks commercial banks.
The plan's key priorities, which were collectively voted on by the community, include:
- Agriculture and Food Security: Addressing challenges like the high cost of modern farming inputs, a lack of extension workers, and conflicts between farmers and herders.
- Economy and Livelihoods: Tackling high unemployment rates, a lack of skills acquisition centers, and poor access to credit facilities.
- Physical Infrastructure: Improving poor access roads, limited GSM network connectivity, and a lack of electricity.
- Education and Health: Focusing on the insufficient number of qualified teachers and health workers, as well as the lack of medical supplies and equipment.
The development of this plan was a collaborative effort, facilitated by Oxfam in Nigeria, the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN), and the Centre for Public Education and Mobilization for Development in Nigeria (CEPAD), with support from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany). The process also established Ward Development Support Committees (WDSCs) to help with future development efforts.
This report, finalized in July 2024, is now being officially published in August 2025.
