By Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
In a significant step towards addressing the pressing needs of remote communities in Jigawa State, the Jigawa Inclusive Forum for Accountability Society (IFAS) and Baba Azimi Foundation (BAF), with support from ActionAid, held two crucial meetings aimed at identifying and addressing specific challenges faced by these hard-to-reach areas.
The meetings, held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dutse, convened members from diverse sectors, including representatives from Civil Society Organisations, Community-Based Organisations, government ministries, MDAs, and the media.
The forum focused on pinpointing critical issues and developing tailored strategies to alleviate the hardships experienced by these communities.
Nafisa Abubakar, the state programme officer of Baba Azimi Foundation, described this as the inaugural meeting since the forum’s establishment.
She explained that representatives from seven communities across three local governments presented their challenges, with the forum deliberating and formulating potential solutions.
“Representatives from seven communities of three local governments presented their challenges, and the forum deliberated and designed a solution,” she stated.
Following in-depth discussions, the forum identified top priorities, including a severe water shortage, lack of functional schools, and insufficient teachers in these communities.
The communities involved include Sabara and Aigwan Iro in Miga Local Government, Rakwata Sale, Rakwata Ado, and Girtigne from Kaugama Local Government, and Duwigi and Dan Abzin from Gwiwa.
Mrs. Nafisa reiterated the forum’s dedication to fostering coordination between communities and government, especially in delivering essential services like healthcare, water, education, and electricity.
“The forum is committed to ensuring coordination between communities and government, in terms of services provided to the people like health, water, education, electricity, and other key services through conducting advocacy at local government and state level,” she affirmed.
Chairperson of the forum, Hajiya Hauwa Zakar, highlighted the significance of the gathering as a platform for community members to engage directly with MDAs and collaboratively tackle their communities’ key challenges.
“Today’s gathering brings community members together to engage with MDAs and resolve key issues in their communities, as well as to build their capacity to advocate for the priority needs in the community,” she said.
The collaborative efforts and advocacy initiatives resulting from the forum’s work signal a promising stride towards sustainable development and empowerment for Jigawa’s most underserved communities.
