Communiqué Issued At The End Of The 2-Day Institutional Strengthening And Agenda-Setting Meeting With Akwa Ibom State Local Government Chairperson
The communiqué summarizes a 2-day Institutional Strengthening and Agenda-Setting Meeting held on 26–27 June 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Organized by the Clement Isong Foundation (CIF) in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria under the SPA II project, it brought together chairpersons and representatives from all 31 LGAs to enhance capacity in public finance management, governance, and resource mobilization. The discussions centered on aligning local governance with renewed LGA financial autonomy, citizen expectations, and state/national development goals, focusing on participatory governance, youth engagement, climate justice, and institutional reforms.
Key Observations:
Participants identified major challenges:
Governance & Service Delivery: Limited transparency in budgeting, low community participation, underfunded health and education systems, and absence of gender/youth-responsive budgeting.
Public Finance: Political interference, inefficient Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) systems, inequitable resource distribution, and grant delays.
Institutional Capacity: Weak donor funding access, lack of PPPs, and absence of structured fundraising strategies.
Recommendations:
Governance & Accountability: Adopt inclusive budgeting with citizen feedback, publish LGA budgets, and align plans with the State Vision and SDGs.
Public Finance & Resource Mobilization: Strengthen IGR systems via automation and anti-corruption, create merit-based fundraising teams, fund health insurance and teacher training, and fully implement LGA financial autonomy without state interference.
Institutional Strengthening: Train staff on project management, climate resilience, and gender-responsive planning; set up NGO/INGO and private sector desks.
Youth & Community Engagement: Adopt the Youth Demand Charter, establish Youth Desks in all LGAs linked to wards, and use MyLGAGovTrack for citizen oversight.
Conclusion:
The meeting reaffirmed participants’ commitment to implement these actions, strengthen partnerships, and track progress toward sustainable, accountable grassroots governance.
