Oxfam Advocates Fair Sharing Of Natural Resources
Oxfam Nigeria said it had achieved significant milestones through the fiscal accountability for the inequality reduction (FAIR4ALL) project.
Mr Hamza Tijani, Acting Country Director of Oxfam in Nigeria, said this at a news conference on FAIR4ALL Media Colloquium and Exhibition in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that the achievement was through mobilising numerous communities to advocate for a just distribution of natural resources.
Tijani was represented by Mr Henry Ushie, FAIR4ALL Project Coordinator.
Tijani said that the project, which was in its third year, had achieved a lot within the framework of the Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) in its second year of implementation.
“These accomplishments include notable outcomes, strengthened partnerships, improved regulatory framework and mobilisation of numerous communities to advocate for a just distribution of natural resources among others.
“The project focuses on strengthening civil society partners to address the impacts of the extractive value chain and failure of trade rules and fiscal governance.
”It is also to redistribute resources and wealth to maginalised groups including ethnic minorities, poor women farmers, and workers.
“The just economies pillars of the OCS has played a complementary role by advancing access to finance and inputs for rural farmers and engaging in the budget process, ” he said.
Tijani said that FAIR4ALL, a global programme in Nigeria, focused on strengthening people’s participation for more transparent, accountable, and equitable redistribution of resources.
He said that the project is targeted at women, youths, ethnic minorities and informal workers that were engaged in or affected by the extractive industry value chain and civil society organisations, among others.
The acting country director identified the pillars of OCS as active and engaged civil society that was able to help strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability in public and private sectors.
According to him, women are able to realise their full and equal rights and potential to remain free from violence.
He said that the third pillar was increased income and sustainable food systems for poor people.
The Oxfam boss urged the current administrations in Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River, where the project was implemented to sustain the gain so far achieved.
He advised them to embrace the whole ideal of raising the bar with regards to fiscal accountability and using it as bases to improve the challenges of inequalities in different communities.
NAN/Shakirat Sadiq
