PRONATURA INAUGURATES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA.

EPE, Lagos, December 12, 2011- Efforts to bring development to the Eredo-Epe LCDA communities received a major boost on the 8th of December, 2011 with the inauguration of the Eredo Community Development Foundation, ErCDF, and PNI’s first foundation in the South Western part of Nigeria.

The foundation which was set-up to attain participatory and sustainable development in the Eredo-Epe Local Council Development Area (LCDA) was launched by the Vice Chairperson of Eredo-Epe LCDA; Mrs. Olayinka Olusanya in the presence of Mr. Guus Haak, BHL Investment and Technologies Ltd representative, Olotu of Odoshiwola community represented by Mr. Okesanya (an Elder of the Odoshiwola community) and members of the community.

Funded by BHL Investment and Technologies, activities aimed at starting the Foundation were initiated by Pro Natura International Nigeria (PNI) in 2010. The inauguration of the Foundation would not have been possible without the buy-in and participation of the people of Eredo-Epe community and their leaders. Ilara, Ibonwon, Ijih, Igbonla, Odoshiwola and Odoragunshin are the six communities benefiting from the community development foundation initiative.

“This foundation is facilitated by PNI, but the communities are the true owners. I hope all of us; especially those at this ceremony will take up the responsibility to contribute positively towards our efforts to make the Eredo Community Development Foundation a success story’’ said Abiodun Adenuga, Project Coordinator for the Foundation (CDF).

“We expect to see increased community capacity in project implementation, gender sensitive planning and increased democracy, transparency and accountability in the Eredo-Epe LCDA. It is possible to achieve these goals with continued support and participation of the communities and the Eredo-Epe LCDA” said John Adeyemi Adeleke, who currently sits on the Board of PNI as its Chairman. “We are pleased that last week Thursday Odoshiwola community witnessed the completion and handing over of a borehole project to the community. This is only the first of six confidence building projects to be implemented through the Eredo CDF in the next few months”.

A representative of BHL Investment and Technologies, sponsor of the community development foundation initiative, Mr. Guus Haak also expressed his pleasure at the progress of the programme. In his address he stated that “We have watched with increasing pleasure the significant progress PNI and the community development foundation communities have made in 2011 with the agreement of the joint MOU’ and the completion of some quick-win projects”  

At the occasion, PNI’s acting Executive Director; Mrs. Nike Olaoye presented the Community Development Plans (CDP’s) to the Vice Chairman of Eredo-Epe LCDA, Mrs. Olayinka Olusanya. The community development plans contained community profiles and the prioritised needs of each of the 6 communities. The Vice Chairman received the documents for the 6 communities.

“We are giving the local government a copy of the documents with the hope that the Local Government will implement some of the needed projects in 2012” explained Mrs. Olaoye.

Responding Mrs. Olayinka Olusanya, said “The LCDA would support the community members in the implementation of the projects in the CDP’s as much as they could bearing in mind the tight budget of the LCDA”.

In a goodwill message the representative of the Executive Director ExxonMobil(Mrs. Gloria Essien-Danner), Mrs. Rita Umoren praised the communities for opening their doors for PNI and BHL to work amongst them. She also said that she believed the CDF model will be sustainable due to its participatory and ownership model. Finally she congratulated BHL for being a great example for Corporate Social Responsibility.  

At around 2pm Nigerian time, the ribbon was cut by Mrs. Olusanya to unveil the new CDF logo signboard of the Eredo Community Development Foundation’s Secretariat, signalling the start of concrete development in the community.

Pro-Natura International, Nigeria is a community development focused NGO which started operations 14 years ago in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and remains committed to bringing development to otherwise neglected communities in Nigeria.

The Eredo CDF will join other foundations which have been set up by PNI in the Niger Delta region in the last 14 years.

The foundation and the projects undertaken by the foundation are being funded by BHL Investment and Technologies as part of their CSR programme.