GUYUK, ADAMAWA STATE: Oxfam in Nigeria, in collaboration with National partners, has officially launched the second phase of the Ward Development Support Committee Grant Competition in Guyuk Local Government Area. This initiative aims to provide vital financial backing to community led development projects, stimulating local economic growth and reinforcing social cohesion across the region.
The grant competition is a core component of the project "Support to Improving Social Cohesion through Community Development Planning in three LGAs in North-East Nigeria." Implemented by Oxfam alongside CODERHI, YWYEF, and CRUDAN, the intervention is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union.
The project is already generating significant momentum. Communities in 31 wards across Guyuk, Biu, and Kwaya Kusar LGAs have successfully developed and validated their Community Development Plans. To date, residents have identified 366 priority needs. However, the focus has now definitively shifted from planning to tangible action.
"We view these grants as a matching investment," noted Tijani, Hamza Ahmed, Country Director, Oxfam in Nigeria, during his address to stakeholders. "By backing the incredible resource mobilization you are already doing, these funds will do more than just fix infrastructure; they will stimulate local economic activities."
During the launch event, project leadership emphasized that the grants are designed to support the proactive resourcefulness already displayed by grassroots committees.
"Our goal is to put the power back into the hands of the people," added Samuel Lashom, Project Coordinator for the initiative. "These committees have already mapped out exactly what their neighbourhoods need, and this grant competition provides the financial spark to bring those community driven visions to life."
Recent field reports highlight remarkable community achievements that align with this vision. This includes the resolution of a 70-year boundary conflict between the Kubuku and Wawa wards through joint community meetings. Furthermore, residents in the Zulum Quarters IDP camp successfully mobilized NGN 400,000 to restore a broken water point, proving their capacity to drive local change independently.
Maxwell Osarenkhoe | Communication Officer | maxwell.osarenkhoe@oxfam.org | +234 807 594 9898
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- Oxfam first launched this community grant initiative in 2024 under the same funding partnership. The success and momentum of that initial phase paved the way for this expanded Phase 2 rollout in Guyuk, Biu and Kwaya Kusar local government areas in Adamawa and Borno states.
- Journalists and editors are highly encouraged to watch the success stories and view the tangible impacts from the first round of Community Development Planning self-help projects.
- Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. In Nigeria, Oxfam works diligently to reduce inequality, promote gender justice, and support sustainable, community led development.
- This project is implemented in close collaboration with our esteemed National partners: the Community Development and Reproductive Health Initiative (CODERHI), Yaharakari Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (YWYEF), and the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN).
- The "Support to Improving Social Cohesion through Community Development Planning" project is generously funded by The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union.
- The intervention actively engages communities across 31 wards within Guyuk Local Government Area in Adamawa State, alongside Biu and Kwaya Kusar Local Government Areas in Borno State.
