The Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP) has launched a digital platform that lets its member civil society organisations (CSOs) report community issues for documentation, monitoring and follow up.
The LACSOP CLAIM App was unveiled on the 5th of November during the coalition’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. At the meeting, members reviewed the organisation’s achievements, programmes and strategic priorities.
According to LACSOP, the app will collect information at the community level and generate evidence for advocacy and decision making. Its Knowledge Management and Communications (KMC) Committee will coordinate it.
LACSOP’s KMC Lead, Margaret ChiChi Nkire, explained that knowledge management and communications went beyond publicity and social media.
She said it also “covered documenting organisational experiences, generating evidence, preserving institutional knowledge and communicating results.”
She urged member CSOs to build it into their work to show impact, improve visibility and attract partnerships and policy engagement.
The Executive Secretary of LACSOP, Mrs Dede Kadiri, urged CSOs and citizens to stay engaged in governance despite shrinking civic space and growing public apathy.
“Good governance depends on citizens’ participation. We cannot leave governance in the hands of a few and expect the development we desire. I therefore urge CSOs, whether funded or unfunded, and interested citizens to remain engaged and hold government accountable,” she said.
Kadiri stated that LACSOP, established in 2007, aims to become the leading citizens’ platform for partnerships and participation in governance in Lagos State. It offers CSOs a platform for collaboration, government engagement and policy advocacy.
She also described how its CLAIM projects grew from the original CLAIM for Social Protection initiative into other areas of community development and accountability.
Representing the Programme Management and Coordination Committee, Ms Lara Olusaiye spoke about the coalition’s interventions. These include CLAIM WASH, CLAIM Climate Change and circular economy initiatives, which she said address environmental challenges, promote responsible waste management and encourage communities to take part in sustainable development.
The Founder of the Development Communications Network (DevComs), Mr Akin Jimoh, encouraged CSOs to think about how to keep their work going when funding is limited.
“If civil society organisations stopped doing what they do today, would the citizens and communities they serve actually miss them?” he asked.
Jimoh urged organisations to show relevance, community impact and public trust that go beyond activities funded by projects.
Rev. Bola Nuga, who represented the Resource Mobilisation Committee, spoke about the problems caused by multiple CSO registration processes and the differing requirements of government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). He called for a harmonised registration system to reduce duplication, inconsistent requirements and costs. He also stressed self regulation, compliance and accountability as ways to strengthen the credibility of CSOs.
LACSOP called on member organisations, government institutions and development partners to deepen collaboration and invest in evidence driven approaches that strengthen civil society engagement and accountability across Lagos State.
