Good Governance: MacArthur
Good Governance: MacArthur Foundation Commits Over
N12.3bn On Nigeria
The MacArthur Foundation has committed not less than $34.2
million or N12.3 billion between 2017 and 2018 as part of efforts
in checkmating social challenges in Nigeria, Economic Confidential
can report.
In deploying these funds, MacArthur Foundation expects that the
results would be a drastic reduction in corruption by supporting
Nigeria-led efforts to promote an atmosphere of accountability,
transparency and good governance in the country.
Regarded as one of the United States’ largest independent
foundations, MacArthur Foundation supports various organizations in
50 countries spread across the globe.
The Economic Confidential gathered that in 2017 alone, $25.35
million or N9.12 billion was committed to various organizations.
They include but not limited to ActionAid International, Action
Health, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, African
Centre for Leadership and Strategy and Akin Fadeyi foundation.
Other organizations supported by MacArthur in 2017 include:
Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Arewa Research and Development
Project, Bayero University, Centre for Democracy and Development,
Centre for Transparency and Advocacy, Centre for Women Health
CISLAC, Cleen Foundation, Community Life Project, Federation of
Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Girl Child Concerns
amongst others.
In 2018, MacArthur aided organisations in Nigeria with about
$8.85mn or N3.18 billion in tackling several social challenges.
Beneficiaries of these funding were: Centre for Information
Technology and development, Chartam House, Cleen Foundation, Heda
Resource Centre, Integrity, Legal Defence and Assistance
Project(LEDAP), Open Government Partnership, Policy and Legal
Advocacy, Shehu Yar’Adua Foundation.
Others beneficiaries of MacArthur Foundation included:
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Synergia
Initiative for Human Rights, African Investigative Journalism
Conference, wadata Communications Nigeria Limited and Women Rights
Advancement and Protection Alternatives (WRAPA) among several
others.
In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program, the Foundation
continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a
responsible and responsive democracy. It provides grants towards
strengthening investigative and data-driven journalism in Nigeria
and to reinforce the role played by independent media and citizens
in revealing and documenting corruption. Some of the beneficiaries
of the grant included: Daily Trust Foundation, Cable News
Journalism Foundation, Brekete Family, International Centre for
Investigative Reporting, Premium Times Centre for Investigative
Journalism, Sahara Reporters, Tiger Eye Social Foundation, and Wole
Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
The funding was deployed to these organisations as agents to
support the promotion and protection of human rights of sexual
minorities in the country, accountability training program for
young people, behavioural science workshops and technical
assistance in Nigeria and improve fight against corruption through
increased efficiency in criminal investigations and prosecutions in
Nigeria.
The MacArthur grants in the year under review were also targeted
at convening a multi-stakeholders conference on new media and
governance in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, to monitor
the implementation and increase public awareness about the
administration of Criminal Justice Act in Nigeria, strengthening
investigative and data-driven journalism in local languages at the
community levels as tools for reducing corruption and enhancing
accountability apart from promoting implementation of Whistleblower
policy and guidelines.
From its activities in the last two years in Nigeria, the
MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective
institutions, and to build a more just, viable and peaceful
Nigeria.
The Foundation MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly
significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most
pressing social challenges, including over-incarceration, global
climate change, nuclear risk, and significantly increasing
financial capital for the social sector.
By PRNigeria