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Our Work

Objective -

To contribute towards ensuring communities in the Niger Delta experience fewer negative effects of the oil and gas industry and greater benefits from the revenues it provides, and that both local and global environmental impact from the oil and gas industry is reduced

SDN has worked to empower 46 communities spanning six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bayelsa State, including host communities, to better navigate the challenges posed by the oil and gas sector. SDN set up 24 Community Monitoring and Advocacy Groups (CMAGs) and trained 288 community members. By amplifying local voices and engaging with office and budget holders, the CMAGs used their Village Books (Charter of demands and sustainable development initiatives tailored to community needs) to advocate to stakeholders. Their efforts have led to significant infrastructure improvements, including the installation of solar street lights and the construction and renovation of roads, schools, and healthcare facilities, leading to investment worth over 2 billion Naira. Till date, even after the end of the project cycle, CMAGs are still recording development projects. The CMAG model was first piloted in Rivers State with a few communities and scaled to Bayelsa State due to tangible results from citizen-led advocacy engagements.

What changed as a result of the project?

There was a perception shift by community members that they can hold their leader’s accountability and attract development to their communities based on their own development demands. They took ownership and reported on tangible development outcomes

How SDN supported or contributed to the change

SDN provided trainings from a rights-based approach on leadership, advocacy, communication skills. SDN also supported with resources to enable community members engage with their representatives.

The CMAG model has been proven as a sustainable approach to community development and accountability through evidenced reporting, therefore:

  • Government officials (both elected and appointed) should carry out thorough and inclusive needs assessment before embarking on a project in any community. Such assessments reflect true needs and encourage community ownership.
  • Government must ensure that all programmes and interventions are designed to be people-centered.
  • Government should incorporate monitoring and evaluation of development projects to hold contractors to account and curb high rate of abandoned projects.
  • Donor agencies can support nonprofit organisations such as SDN with funding to replicate this high impact social accountability project in hard-to-reach communities across States in the Niger Delta and Nigeria
  • Civil Society Organisations must always teach communities and citizens on human rights so they can galvanise support and make demands to duty bearers from a rights-based approach.

Objective -

To protect civic freedoms through increased collaboration among CSOs and mobilize support for the domestication/implementation of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act.

The establishment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committees in both Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, and the inception of the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme in Rivers State. The project has also resulted in improved collaboration among stakeholders (civil society actors, government MDAs, PwDs and other actors)

What changed as a result of the project?

There was a perception shift by community members that they can hold their leader’s accountability and attract development to their communities based on their own development demands. They took ownership and reported on tangible development outcomes

How SDN supported or contributed to the change

SDN supported with the resources which enabled cluster organisations to mobilise towards the achievement of outcomes mentioned above.

  • The Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committees should be well resourced or funded by the State governments and there should be some level of accountability in the discharge of duties by members.
  • There should also be sustained advocacy on human rights issues for the media to amplify.
  • The Judiciary should look into decongesting correctional centers by treating cases in a timely manner.

Objective -

To further contribute to accountable, responsive and inclusive governance in the Niger Delta following the 2023 elections by galvanizing public support to push for the policy demands and secure commitments by the state government to follow through on issues that affect women, young persons as well as persons with disabilities within the state (Rivers State).

The DASI project was an extension of the WeYOU Project where SDN worked directly with 48 selected WeYOU Ambassadors and 32 representatives from civil society, along with private sector representatives, to follow-up on electoral commitments made by elected candidates and policy demands contained in the Women and Youth Agenda (WAYA). Specifically, WeYOUAmbassadors and CSO Networks were supported to carry out advocacy engagements with key stakeholders at the state and local government levels. SDN on this project provided technical support via direct engagements with the Rivers state government on policy priorities.

What changed as a result of the project?

The first ever Rivers State Youth Policy was launched and is being implemented by the Rivers State Ministry of Youth Development. The existing Rivers State Persons with Disabilities Welfare (Enhancement) 2011 was repealed and replaced with a validated draft bill (Rivers State Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities, 2024) and is currently with the Office of the Public Defender, Rivers State Ministry of Justice pending when the political situation with the State House of Assembly is resolved.

How SDN supported or contributed to the change

SDN provided technical support on the development of these policies and bill and also mobilized civil society organisations, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) clusters and citizens to push demands to the fore via campaigns and advocacy engagements.

  • The political instability in Rivers State should be resolved as a matter of urgency to allow the State House of Assembly to function in her disposition of duties such as treatment of the Rivers State Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2024
  • Donor agencies can support SDN with funding to deepen our work with women, young people and Persons with Disabilities on inclusive and representative governance.
  • Government should address the inequality gap in democratic governance structures and decision-making processes by implementing policies which give women, young people including persons with disabilities a voice.
  • Citizens especially women, young people and persons with disabilities must learn to question repressive policies, add their voice on issues and demand for adequate inclusion and representation in political governance.

GOVERNANCE PILLAR

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The Niger Delta is one of the world’s most environmentally degraded oil-producing regions. Decades of oil and gas extraction have left communities dealing with oil spills, gas flaring, damaged mangrove ecosystems and other forms of pollution that affect health, livelihoods and food security. Climate change is adding to these pressures, while emissions from the oil and gas sector continue to contribute to Nigeria’s climate challenge. SDN works to reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas operations and strengthen the systems needed to monitor, regulate and address pollution. We support communities to monitor environmental conditions, promote transparency around oil spills, gas flaring and methane emissions, and engage regulators, companies and other stakeholders to improve environmental accountability. Click to view our flagship projects driving this work.

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Decades of dependence on oil, limited formal employment and environmental degradation have left many people across the Niger Delta with limited opportunities to earn a secure and sustainable living. For many young people and women in particular, this can increase vulnerability to precarious work and harmful or illicit activities. SDN works to expand access to safe, sustainable and dignified economic opportunities. We support young people, women and other vulnerable groups through initiatives focused on digital skills, entrepreneurship, agriculture and small business development, helping people build livelihoods that are less dependent on oil and better able to withstand economic and environmental pressures. Click to view some of our flagship projects driving this work.

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Weak governance, limited transparency and poor accountability have long made it difficult for the Niger Delta’s natural resources and public investments to translate into broad-based development. Communities often lack access to reliable information about decisions and resources that affect them, while opportunities to hold government and businesses accountable remain limited. SDN works to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen participation across the region. We support civil society organisations and communities to access information, engage decision-makers and advocate for more responsive governance: from the management of Host Community Development Trusts under the Petroleum Industry Act to free, fair and credible elections. Click to view some of our flagship projects driving this work.

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The Niger Delta has a long history of conflict linked to grievances over resource control, environmental degradation, exclusion and unmet development expectations. While large-scale militancy declined following the 2009 Presidential Amnesty Programme, criminality, piracy, pipeline vandalism and tensions between communities and companies continue to pose challenges to peace and stability. SDN works with communities, government, companies and other stakeholders to address the underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity. We promote dialogue, inclusive decision-making and longer-term development approaches that address grievances before they escalate, while supporting communities to build resilience and contribute to lasting peace and stability. Click to view some of our flagship projects driving this work.

SUPPORT SDN FOR A PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS AND POLLUTION-FREE NIGER DELTA

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