Meeting Change: Resonant leadership in an evolving Nigeria

In 2023 Accountability Lab Nigeria made significant strides in advancing accountability in the country; collaborating with stakeholders, building power for citizens in local communities, and expanding their reach to enhance accountability in governance. We chatted with the Lab’s Country Director, Odeh Friday, about his journey to the Lab, the value of a translocal network, and the challenges of building sustainable local structures for accountability in a funding environment that favors quick wins. Before joining Accountability Lab, Odeh worked in direct aid response, delivering healthcare, livelihood, and other humanitarian services to communities in need. It was while delivering food aid to Internally [...]

2024-07-26T15:14:41+00:0026th July 2024|

Shaping the future of Natural Resource Governance

In late May 2024, Lusaka played host to a week of global discussions on Natural Resource Governance (NRG). Accountability Lab hosted the BHP Foundation’s NRG Partners Learning eXchange Dialogues (PLxD). The event attracted over 90 participants, including Foundation partners, regional organizations, and distinguished experts from various sectors. The intention of the PLxD was to encourage reflection, share knowledge, and build robust networks to advance the field of NRG. The PLxD underscored the importance of integrating diverse expertise and using reliable data to enhance NRG. Key takeaways included the need for expertise integration by combining insights from various stakeholders to develop [...]

2024-09-19T13:41:48+00:0021st June 2024|

Trends and threats – a presentation to Wilton Park

Earlier this year, AL Co-CEO Jean Scrimgeour was invited to 'think-space' Wilton Park in the UK to talk about the threats and opportunities we're seeing in the governance field. She collects them here - from using civic technology cleverly, to building equity and inclusion for better outcomes.

2024-05-22T14:35:18+00:0020th May 2024|

What’s democracy without citizen participation?

This article presented by Grocott's Mail discusses the ongoing challenges in achieving meaningful citizen participation and accountability within South Africa's local municipalities, focusing on the case study of Makhanda. It highlights initiatives like the Action for Accountability project and the role of organizations like the Public Service Accountability Monitor in promoting civic engagement and addressing governance issues. It has been three decades since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, yet gaps between communities and government remain a talking point. The apartheid administration brought the blatant exclusive participation in governance, forcefully silencing a large portion of the population. However, the [...]

2024-09-05T10:01:58+00:0019th April 2024|

Building Sustainable Cities: The Role of Accountability in Socio-Ecological Systems

Cities are made up of intricate systems with many interconnected elements such as transportation, housing, water, waste, politics, and health. The interaction of these elements can yield transformative outcomes, like establishing health centers fostering job opportunities and educational growth. Conversely, it can also introduce challenges, such as industrial activities adversely impacting the water supply. Despite the seemingly boundless complexities inherent in cities, sustainability is essential. Therefore, it is vital to cultivate accountable cities where decision-makers are aware of their impact and answerable to the citizens they affect. This accountability, rooted in transparency and responsiveness, becomes the linchpin for building trust [...]

2024-04-19T16:37:39+00:002nd January 2024|

Pakistan’s labor quandary: comprehensive reforms and human rights protection needed

Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st and commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, United States of America, where many workers lost their lives fighting for eight-hour workdays. In response to this historical event, Pakistan has adopted this day as a public holiday. Every year, newspapers across the country display a picture of a laborer carrying bricks in the scorching heat, a kiln worker with a miserable expression, a security guard on the brink of exhaustion, or a sanitary worker staring at the camera lens with lifeless eyes. However, although it is a widely recognized holiday, most daily-wage laborers [...]

2023-12-18T16:33:24+00:0012th December 2023|

Empowering Global Youth: A Path to Inclusive Democracy

By Kibo Ngowi Amidst the challenges faced by democracies worldwide, a beacon of hope is emerging as young people take charge of their futures. Youth across the globe are stepping up to redefine their roles in shaping governance. And the call for increased youth participation resonates strongly in the global south.  Despite a lower-than-desired voter turnout in the Nigerian elections earlier this year, the resilience of the 'Not Too Young To Run' movement demonstrated the transformative power of youth cohesion as several young candidates who benefitted from the campaign took office for the first time. Pakistan, with its youthful population, [...]

2023-12-07T10:05:42+00:007th December 2023|

Youth-Led Initiatives and the Future of Democracy: A Conversation with McDonald Lewanika

Governments and institutions have a crucial role in supporting and empowering young people in their efforts to promote democratic change and innovation. International Democracy Day Brussels is an annual event that gathers organizations and experts to celebrate democracy and discuss its challenges. The theme for this year is ‘Empowering the next generation,’ focusing on young people’s essential role in advancing democracy and ensuring their voices are included in decisions that profoundly impact their world. In this year's event, McDonald Lewanika, the Regional Director for East and Southern Africa at Accountability Lab, shared his insights on youth-led initiatives, the state of [...]

2023-12-18T16:05:55+00:0020th November 2023|

CSO tasks NOA DG on national gender policy implementation

A Civil Society Organisation, Accountability Lab Nigeria, dedicated to promoting gender equality and women empowerment, has called for concerted efforts with the newly-appointed Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, on gender equality in workspace and every other human endeavor to afford women a levelled playing field. Accountability Lab made this call during a crucial meeting with the newly-appointed Director General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, and its Programs and Learning Manager, Ehi Idakwo. At the meeting, the CSO harped on the critical importance of NOA’s commitment to implementing the National Gender Policy in [...]

2023-11-07T10:38:49+00:007th November 2023|

Mali’s Youth Take the Lead on Inclusive Education Advocacy

By Zeinabou Walet Mohamed Ali In Mali, critical issues such as insecurity and climate change are hampering the successful implementation of educational strategies. Socio-cultural constraints are leading to a depressingly low level of girls' education, as demonstrated by a 2018 UNESCO study which highlighted that only 37% of girls were enrolled in secondary school compared to 44% of boys. As a result, only a third of women are able to decipher a simple sentence, compared with 80% of men. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a consultative day with young leaders involved in educational issues in Mali aimed [...]

2023-10-10T10:16:28+00:009th October 2023|
Privacy Policy
Go to Top