Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A group, Josemaria Escriva Foundation in conjunction with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said it has bridged the communication gap between the government and the governed through the introduction of branded Community Suggestion Boxes.
The Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation and Project Lead of the Enhancing Citizen Engagement in Governance Across Selected Local Government Areas in Edo State (E-CEGALE) Project, Dr. Jude Obasanmi disclosed this after the end of the training of the participants at Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area of the state
He said the introduction of the branded Community Suggestion Boxes across the six key local government areas of the state, is an initiative, implemented by the Josemaria Escriva Foundation, in response to residents’ call for a safe, structured, and barrier-free way to communicate their concerns and development needs to the authorities.
Dr. Obasanmi said the initiative is aimed at encouraging citizens to actively participate in co-governance at the local government levels.
Obasanmi explained that through the training of Community Governance Committees and the introduction of suggestion boxes, communities now have a direct and structured channel to share concerns, provide feedback, and communicate development priorities to local authorities without bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Speaking on the importance of the community participation, Peter Nwadishi of the Koyenum Immalah Foundation noted that community engagement is essential for sustainable development.
He said by supporting citizens to express their concerns and ideas through this initiative, they are ensuring that development priorities truly reflect the voices and needs of the people at the grassroot levels.
For Comrade Annestina Umoru, Lead of the Initiative for Gender Equality and Advancement (IGEA), she underscored that inclusive citizen engagement is vital for strengthening democratic governance.
She emphasized that empowering ordinary people to find their voice is the only way to ensure leadership remains truly accountable to the public.
Umoru highlighted the introduction of Community Suggestion Boxes as a secure platform for women, youth, and marginalized groups to communicate directly with the government.
She argued that when these often-unheard voices are prioritized, development becomes more responsive to the actual needs of the community, particularly during budget preparation at the Local Government level.
She added that to ensure the effectiveness of this feedback mechanism, the project conducted intensive training for 60 Community Governance Committee (CGC) members, with 10 representatives selected from each of the participating LGAs: Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Esan West, Esan South East, Etsako West, and Owan West.
