ADO-ODO/OTA CHAIRMAN BACKS CITIZENS-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP FOR IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY

 

Ota, Ogun State — The Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Hon. Lawal Adewale Wasiu, FCA, has expressed his administration's commitment to partnering with organised citizens to improve governance, public service delivery and sustainable community development.

The commitment followed a policy dialogue facilitated by the African Foundation for Environment and Development (AFED), with funding support from CIVICUS, between representatives of 10 thematic Citizen Groups and the Management Team of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The consultative forum, held at the AFED office in Ota, focused on citizen participation, government partnership and sustainable community development.

The dialogue formed part of AFED's Community Environmental Justice and Civic Action Labs project, an initiative designed to strengthen grassroots participation in governance and promote community-led responses to environmental and developmental challenges.

From Training to Partnership

The project began with the mobilisation and selection of 49 women, youth and community leaders drawn from different communities and sectors across Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

The participants were subsequently organised into 10 thematic Citizen Groups focusing on health, agriculture, education, electricity, road infrastructure, gender-based violence, women and youth empowerment, conflict prevention and leadership ethics, and media and communications.

The 49 community leaders completed four intensive three-day training modules covering Environmental Justice; Civic Space and Citizens' Rights; Governance and Participatory Budgeting; and Advocacy and Strategic Communication.

The training equipped the participants to identify and document community needs, engage public institutions constructively, monitor public service delivery, analyse government budgets and advocate evidence-based solutions to grassroots challenges.

Following the capacity-building phase, the policy dialogue was convened to connect the trained community leaders with the Local Government Management Team and establish a sustainable framework for collaboration, information sharing and citizens' feedback.

The Local Government delegation was led by Hon. Lawal and included senior political and administrative officials, departmental directors and representatives responsible for health, agriculture, information and education, community development, water and environmental sanitation, finance and other areas of local governance.

AFED was represented by its Executive Director, Adeshola Afariogun, alongside representatives of the 10 Citizen Groups.

The dialogue was facilitated by Barrister Ayo Adebusoye, who led discussions on effective partnerships among citizens, community institutions, civil society organisations and local government.

In his welcome address, Afariogun said the engagement represented an important transition from citizens' capacity building to practical participation in governance.

He explained that the dialogue was intended to build trust, improve communication and establish a sustainable channel through which organised citizens could provide feedback, support government programmes and advocate solutions to pressing community challenges.

During the interactive session, representatives of the Citizen Groups expressed their readiness to partner with the Local Government in community sensitisation, citizens' mobilisation, project monitoring, policy advocacy and the collection of grassroots feedback.

Participants identified poor road infrastructure, inadequate primary healthcare, environmental sanitation, refuse management, basic education, electricity and limited communication between citizens and government as some of the issues requiring sustained attention.

Adebusoye urged citizens to regard government as a development partner rather than an adversary. He noted that effective local governance requires transparency, regular consultation, clearly defined responsibilities and active citizen participation.

He also highlighted the Open Government Partnership model as a useful framework for promoting transparency, access to information, accountability and collaboration between government and citizens.

"Government Alone Cannot Do It"

Responding, Hon. Lawal Adewale Wasiu, FCA commended AFED for convening the dialogue and expressed the readiness of his administration to work with the Citizen Groups.

"The government alone cannot do it. We need citizens as partners," the Chairman said.

He described direct feedback from residents as essential to effective decision-making and service delivery, assuring participants that his administration would maintain an open-door relationship with the platform.

The Chairman also encouraged citizens to complement their demands with civic responsibilities, including paying legitimate taxes and levies, supporting community initiatives and cooperating with public institutions.

He explained that the Local Government has departments through which the thematic groups could collaborate with relevant officials in addressing community needs and improving service delivery.

Way Forward

The meeting agreed on the establishment of a formal partnership platform comprising representatives of the Local Government and the 10 Citizen Groups. The platform is expected to be formally inaugurated and sustained through regular meetings, clear objectives and continuous follow-up.

It was also agreed that the Local Government department responsible for community development would coordinate subsequent engagements, while the Citizen Groups would identify competent representatives who could contribute to relevant programmes, projects and committees.

Other recommendations included developing a joint action plan, strengthening communication through appropriate platforms, improving publicity for government programmes and achievements, and creating channels through which citizens could provide timely information and feedback.

Afariogun thanked the Executive Chairman and members of the Management Team for embracing the initiative. He also expressed appreciation to CIVICUS for providing the financial support that made the engagement possible.

The meeting concluded with both the Local Government and the Citizen Groups reaffirming their commitment to regular dialogue and a sustained partnership for transparent governance, improved service delivery and inclusive development across Ado-Odo/Ota.

The initiative advances the guiding principle of the Ado-Odo/Ota Citizens Engagement Platform: "Together We Build Better Communities."