By Abbas Bamalli
The European Union (EU-funded) Conflict Prevention, Crisis Preparedness and Response for Resilience (CPCRR) project has commenced a two-day service delivery training for Katsina State and local government officials.
The two-day training aimed to equip participants with practical knowledge and skills for responsive, transparent and accountable public service delivery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is being implemented by Mercy Corps, International Organisation for Migration, and Centre for Democracy and Development.
Speaking at the opening of the training on Monday in Katsina, Paul Mafulul, Natural Resource Management (NRM) Advisor at Mercy Corps, said the exercise also targets to strengthen local governance.
He explained that the programme brought together key officials from eight benefiting local government areas and relevant state ministries.
Mafulul said the initiative sought to strengthen the capacity of local government authorities to better understand community priorities.
According to him, the training also planned to improve planning/coordination, promote citizen participation and enhance the delivery of basic services.
He said it was also aimed at aligning local governance with national development priorities, global best practices, improving governance and promoting sustainable development in vulnerable communities across participating states.
According to Mufulul, the project is expected to address institutional capacity gaps, inadequate community engagement, weak accountability systems, poor inter-departmental coordination and limited application of participatory governance approaches.
He added that it would also improve participants’ understanding of conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive and climate-resilient approaches to service delivery, particularly in conflict-affected and climate-stressed communities.
“The training is intended to enhance the knowledge, skills and practical approaches of local government officials in delivering responsive, transparent, inclusive and people-centred services.
“It will also strengthen collaboration between local government institutions, traditional leaders, community structures, women and youth groups, civil society organisations and development partners,” he said.
Mafulul said participants would also be exposed to strategies for improving monitoring, reporting, transparency and public feedback mechanisms to enhance service delivery performance.
He said the training would further strengthen coordination, communication and collaboration among local government departments to ensure effective implementation of development programmes.
According to Mafulul, the programme builds on the success of the Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation (CMCR) project and seeks to promote long-term peace and stability in Northwest Nigeria.
“It works across 48 communities in 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Katsina and Zamfara States, addressing the root causes of conflict, enhancing community resilience, and strengthening socio-economic recovery,” he said.
The participants include heads of local government administration, directors of primary health care, works, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), agriculture, and education secretaries from the eight CPCRR-supported local government areas.
(NAN)
