The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu on Monday lamented the state of affairs in most African countries including Nigeria, positing that it is the responsibility of Africa to set agenda for its development.
He equally lampooned those calling for military intervention, insisting that coup d’etat is not the solution to the so much sought after transformation.
He made the comment in Abuja at the opening of a two day Regional People Power Forum Held.
Mamedu said: “Africa must set the agenda for Africa’s development, and this can only happen when social movements put the pressure on the political class to deliver on critical promises and sectors that can accelerate development not just in our cities but also at the grassroots
“More importantly, we must build people power and the active agency of the citizen to make demands of the political class according to the constitution. Our social movements must begin to make what we call ‘Beautiful Trouble’ that will lead to transformation.”
He added, “We are reminded constantly, that the power in people is more potent than the people in power and we must activate that power through our organising and mobilising.”
Speaking on what ActionAid Nigeria has been doing to ensure transformation in the country, Mamedu said: “In ActionAid, we have an increased resolve on how to contribute to solving this.
“We found out that counter-balancing and interconnected people’s movements will be key to resist repressive governments and draconian policies which continue to put more people in poverty. So, in our new Country Strategy Paper (CSP), we have prioritise working with social movements.
“Our CSP titled: Citizens Action to End Poverty and Injustice is founded on four critical but interlinked action of OAST – ORGANISE, ACT, SHIFT, THRIVE, as you can see, it is also fitting for the theme of this forum. At the federation level, our Strategic Implementation Framework (SIF 3) has also prioritise working with small bands of social movements all over the world.
“But there are challenges to social transformation and this we must surmount through organising in the midst of poverty, strive and misery”.
He said the ActionAid Nigeria will continue to provide the space for African social movements to engage and work together on critical social issues befuddling the continent.
Mamedu added that: “In October, we facilitated the emergence of the cooperation of different social movement groups into Movement for Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON), in Nigeria. The total membership of MOTiON is about 30 million Nigerians. We believe their collective
He insisted that ActionAid Nigeria is currently the hub for social movement collaboration and support in West Africa.
Mamedu explained that “ActionAid is a global federation working for a world free from poverty and injustice. All we want is a just, fair and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. So, we work to achieve social justice and gender equality, and to eradicate poverty.”
