LDM Nigeria – From 2002-2006

The dRPC became the anchor organization for the LDM program in Nigeria in March 2002. At that time 8 other countries were also participating in the program. These countries included Ethiopia, Sudan, Philippines, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Mymar (Burma) and Thailand. The program is implemented by the Institute of International Education (IIE) an international organization based in the USA which has been carrying out programs in the developing world to support University academics and middle career civil servants. The IIE has been running the Humphrey and Fulbright programs in Nigeria since the 1970s. The LDM program has been funded by the Packard Foundation since its inception. The Packard Foundation is currently supporting 4 leadership programs in Nigeria as follows:

1. the International FP Leadership program (IFPLP)
2. the Leadership Development Mechanism (LDM) program
3. the University of Washington, Seattle program
4. the Visionary Leadership Program

In Nigeria, the LDM host organization is the dRPC, a non-profit social enterprise which supports NGOs and CBOs mainly in the North of Nigeria.

Application Procedure of the LDM Program
All applicants of the LDM Program must go through a short listing process followed by an interview. The interview is conducted by a Selection Panel consisting of Dr. Habibu Sadauki, Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf; Dr. Clara Ejembi; Dr. Sunday Shittu; Chief Imam Sani Isah; Dr. Mairo Mandara; Hajiya Dije A. Yahaya; Alhaji Bello Sule; and Professor Dora Shehu. The Selection Committee must unanimously agree for a fellowship to be awarded. After fellows have been selected they then enter into participatory dialogue with the dRPC to be matched with a suitable course.

Structure of the LDM program

The LDM program is seeking to build sustainable capacity for reproductive health leadership amongst emerging leaders working in the 19 states of the North of Nigeria. Fellows are supported to attend training programs and study tours of their choice. Once fellows return from training the LDM program continues to engage fellows in follow up activities such as:

1. individual and group/network mini grant projects
2. annual meetings and training especially for skills acquisition
3. conferences and workshops for individual fellows and networks

The LDM Nigeria program has provided opportunities for reproductive health leaders to pursue personal development and contribute to organizational and community goals. Leaders working in media, youth and women organizations as well as service providers and Islamic scholars are especially encouraged to apply.

Key Activities of the Program 2002-2006
Annual Meetings
Annual meetings of fellows were held in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Annual Meeting of Fellows for 2005 was held at the Comfort Royale Hotel between Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd April 2005. The theme of the 2005 meeting was Advocacy in Reproductive Health.

Conferences
Three Nigeria LDM Nigeria fellows working in adolescent reproductive health (Abdullahi Sule, Hafsat Hardo and Jummai Bappah) attended the Action Addis Ababa Call for Leadership in Population and Development Workshop in Ethiopia in July 2004. Also in attendance was LDM Selection Committee member, Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf. Between 16-21 October 2005 four fellows participated in the 13th Priorities in RH and HIV Conference in South Africa. These fellows were Dr. Abdulkarim Mai Riga, from Borno state; Dr. Mohammed Kauawa, from Yobe State; Mrs. Florence Balwa, from Kano State; and Alhaji Balarabe Hamza, from Bauchi State. The fellows were supported to develop their representation by Mrs. Jean Munroe.

Special Meetings
One extraordinary fellows’ meeting was held on 5th June 2004. The theme
was - RH and Islamic leaders: Creating an Enabling environment for
programming. The meeting was used as a forum to discuss the issues
associated with Islamic leaders and their role in RH initiatives. The
meeting also aimed to develop practical projects and activities.

Panelists at the RH and Islamic leaders workshop

At the meeting papers were presented by Alhaji Muzammil Sani Hanga, Council of Ullams Kano State; Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf, Amira FOMWAN and LDM Selection Committee Member; Dr. Mansur Ibrahim from UDF University Sokoto State; His Highness the Wakilin Arewa – Alhaji Sayyadi Mahmoud; Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Kachalla a religious leader from Maiduguri; Chief Imam Sani Isa, Warf Street Mosque in Kaduna; and Dr. Sani Gwarzo, Medical Doctor and activists in the area of Islam and HIV/AIDS programming. Also present were Dr. Murtala Mai of Pathfinder International, Hajiya Hadiza Babayaro of JHU, Ku Saurara program, Hajiya Rabi Eshaq now of COMPASS Kano and Dr. Hadiza Galadanchi of Medical Women Kano State Branch. All papers presented at the workshop are available at the dRPC.

In-country trainings
In September 2005 the LDM Nigeria Program ran the first in-country training program on Research Methods in RH. The 4-day training workshop was designed to respond to gaps observed in fellows’ abilities to design and carry out research in RH during the Bulletin Project. The aim of the LDM Bulletin Project was to facilitate fellows’ scientific documentation of best practices in Gender and RH. The independent evaluation of the Research Methods workshop by Dr. Chi Chi Aniagolu. revealed that fellows felt they had gained new knowledge and skills particularly in areas of problem definition and participatory research methods.

Follow up external trainings
August 2005 also saw the LDM Nigeria program being requested to invite fellows to apply to the Summer School of the Ahfad University for Women’s Program on the Identity of Muslim Women. Six fellows applied and two fellows were accepted. The two fellows who won fellowships from the Women’s University, Aisha Zakari and Jamila Nuru reported that the 3 week training was a life changing experience.

Mentoring
Throughout the year 2005, the 18 LDM fellows who were awarded small grants to carry out research projects working in mentoring relationships continued to submit their research reports under the LDM Bulletin Project. In general, reports were strong and mentoring relationships successful as fellows worked with VLP and other RH leaders.

LDM Publication - Gender and the Hausa Video Industry by Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf
The LDM Nigeria Program is pleased to announce that a report on Gender and the Hausa Video industry authored by Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf was launched on 24th September 2005. Copies are free. Please contact the LDM Nigeria Office at the dRPC to request for copies.

Mini-grant
The mini-grant project was re-conceptualized to be a joint project involving as many fellows as possible in roles as consultants, trainers, field workers and coordinators. The purpose of the mini-grant was to build the capacity of CBOs in Borno and Kano states to map maternal mortality and morbidity situation at community level in order to create awareness and advocate for increased services. The sum of $10,000 has been approved for the mini-grant. The project will be executed between December 2005 and March 2006.

Network building
LDM Fellows are supported to build networks at the state level where they are working, across states with fellows working in similar areas and across leadership programs. Reproductive health leaders from the MacArthur Foundation Fund for Leadership Development program currently anchored by the Pathfinder International are usually invited to LDM in-country activities. Networks are supported to carry out joint activities such as the Open Space regional meetings in the Northwest, Northeast and North central states.

Islam and Reproductive Health Study Tour in 2005
The dRPC has been collaborating with the Institute for RH in Egypt and the International Health Programs of the Institute of Public Health at Santa Cruz since 2002. As a consequence of on-going evaluation and feedback on this program, the course has now been customized to the dRPC’s needs and has evolved into a simulating interaction geared towards adult learning. This is the most popular training program for leaders in the LDM program. The study tour offers senior Islamic scholars an opportunity to see best practices and debate issues about Islamic precepts on issues ranging from early marriage, HIV/AIDS, family size, birth spacing and the rights of women in Islam. For the year 2005, twelve Islamic Scholars participated in a study tour on Islam and Reproductive Health at the Institute for RH Research in Alexandria, Egypt. The study tour was headed by Dr. Sagir Saleh who represented the dRPC. Between 30th May and 14th June a second group of 5 Islamic scholars and Opinion Leaders participated in a similar study tour at the Institute. In total 17 leaders attended this course in 2005. By 2006, there are 31 leaders from the LDM Program who attended this program. Together with an additional 17 leaders also supported by the dRPC to attend this program under the Advocacy in Reproductive Health Program funded by the Packard Foundation, seed support will be provided to deepen their collaboration and help institutionalize their network.

Profile of LDM Fellows
Between 2002 and 2005, a total of 75 fellows have been sent on training and study tours. Forty one fellows are female and thirty four are male. About one quarter of the fellows are from Kano State the largest state in the North of Nigeria.

 

Achievements of LDM Fellows
Since the commencement of the LDM program, Fellows have distinguished themselves as reproductive health leaders at the policy level, at service delivery points, as trainers, mentors and as grassroots activists. Two LDM Fellows (Alhaji Isa Chana and Dr. Suleiman Khalid) have become fellows of the MacArthur Foundation Fund for Leadership Development (FLD) program, one LDM Fellow (Dr. Alhassan) has been granted a fellowship by the Ford Foundation to read a Masters in Reproductive Health at Colombia University, New York, three LDM fellows have received grants from Pathfinder International in Kano (Alhaji Sule and Hajiya Aisha in YEDA) and Katsina (Dr. Yusa’u Dagari) States, one fellow in Borno State (Dr. Mairiga) has been awarded a special citation by the First Lady of the State for his contribution to maternal mortality reduction.

,Capacity Building