To begin the new year with an emphasis on communications between government, local communities and civil society organizations, Building Nigeria’s Response to Climate Change project (BNRCC) held Knowledge Sharing Workshops – one in Makurdi, Benue State, on January 18^th, and one in Calabar, Cross River State, on January 20^th, 2011. 

BNRCC Pilot Project partners, who have been working for up to two years on community-based climate change adaptation initiatives, gathered together at these regional workshops to demonstrate their results and the lessons learned from their respective projects.  Community representatives from each pilot project were invited as resource people to share personal success stories from their communities.  Local government and State policy makers and local and national media were also in attendance to discuss, inspire and contribute to linkages between communities, local and State governments and civil society organizations.

The main objective of the workshop was to encourage sustainability for BNRCC pilot projects and utilize the lessons learned for future pilot projects.  BNRCC has always advocated involving government at all stages of a project.  Mr. Samuel Udeh, from the Benue State planning office implored the organizations in the room “to inform and communicate with State planning offices early in a project’s phase. This will allow for sustainability both for the NGO, the community and the project itself.”

In Makurdi, the workshop’s success was recognized from the outset when Mr. Usman  H. Dukku, a member of the BNRCC Project Steering Committee and a NEST Board member, declared that simply organizing such a “workshop has already closed the communication gap” between community and local government.  Professor Saminu Ibrahim, head of the BNRCC pilot project managed by ATBU, Bauchi, echoed the sentiments and emphasized one of the most important lessons learned: “there is a need for synergy and integration at every stage of the project – from planning to implementation.”

Participating in the Calabar workshop, on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment, Cross River State, Omotunde A. Ivara Esu, presented a paper discussing relevant policy expectations/requirements from community-based climate change adaptation projects. In particular she stressed that Calabar is very interested in tree planting and tree conservation practices and she commended BNRCC and its partners for holding a workshop with the intention of “working together to achieve similar goals.”

The workshop culminated with group work where participants gathered together to discuss possible policy recommendations from their respective pilot projects.  Groups consisted of members of government, such as Barr. Mrs. Josephine Efiom, Executive Chairperson, Akpabuyo Local Government, sitting with academics like, Dr. I.J. Ekpoh from the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Calabar, along with BNRCC pilot project partners, and community representatives.  

These diverse groups exemplified the aim of the BNRCC workshop – bringing people together so that the knowledge gained can be shared and will continue to flow between organizations across all levels of society. 

NEST, from Ibadan, which is implementing the BNRCC project, will be holding a national workshop in Abuja in March 2011 to continue the knowledge sharing and to promote dialogue between communities, civil society organizations and national policy makers.