Oxfam, Partners Train 50 WDSC Members on Community Development Plans in Adamawa
By Umar Dankano, Yola
The European Union (EU), in partnership with the German Cooperation and the Federal Government, has organized a two-day advocacy and capacity-building training for fifty (50) members of the Ward Development Support Committee (WDSC) in Guyuk Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The program, implemented by Oxfam, Crudan, Community Development & Reproductive Health Initiative, Nigeria (CODERHI), and Yaharakari Foundation, aims to empower WDSC members—who serve as community representatives—to promote social and economic growth within their localities.
In his welcome remarks at the training on Monday in Guyuk, Samuel Lashon, Project Coordinator, Oxfam Nigeria, explained that the training was designed to enhance the monitoring of community development plans, lobby for their implementation, and ensure transparent reporting of progress to ward residents.
Lashon stated that participants were trained on community leadership and effective leadership styles for managing community action groups, with the goal of strengthening their capacity to document and report their activities.
He emphasized the importance of the training in helping WDSC members fully understand their roles and responsibilities in implementing the local government development plan, as well as commit to creating safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive environments within their wards.
While urging participants to safeguard their communities and drive development initiatives, Lashon charged them to actively contribute to the progress of their localities.
Earlier in his remarks, the representative of the Guyuk Council Chairman and Supervisory Councillor on Education, Hon. Ali Audu, expressed gratitude to the organizers, describing the initiative as a gateway for communities to take ownership of their development.
Audu noted that such interventions are vital to achieving self-reliance, adding that development partners have continued to play key roles in guiding beneficiaries toward sustainable growth.
In their separate comments, Miss Nah Abanitus and Mr. Salom Danfulani, both participants, commended the organizers for providing them with the opportunity to contribute to the transformation of their communities.
They pledged to ensure the sustainability of the initiative by cascading the knowledge gained to others within their wards as ambassadors of positive change.
Our correspondent reports that the training, themed “Support to Improving Social Cohesion Through Community Development Planning in Three LGAs in North-East Nigeria,” trained fifty (50) WDSC members drawn from Guyuk and Purokayo wards respectively.
