Project Title: Promoting Cultural Values and Rights of Original Inhabitants (OIs) in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through Drama and Art Forms
Funder: MacArthur Foundation through the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED).
Throughout decades, the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have endured numerous violations of their fundamental rights, resulting in institutionalized discrimination, disenfranchisement, and severe marginalization within the Nigerian polity, as highlighted by CHRICED in 2021. This protracted injustice has catalyzed an urgent imperative to champion the rights of these individuals, amplifying their voices and granting them equitable access to the benefits enjoyed by residents of other states. Consequently, this necessity has given rise to a transformative project involving ten sub-grantees, each tasked with the noble responsibility of advocating for the rights of the Original Inhabitants across diverse realms, encompassing their cultural, environmental, political, economic, and social rights.
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) a non-governmental Organization located in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria received a grant of fifty-five million (55,000,000.00) naira from the MacArthur Foundation through the Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) to implement a 2-year project titled: Promoting Cultural Values and Rights of Original Inhabitants (OIs) in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through Drama and Art Forms of which the overall goal of the project is Promoting the Rights of the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The project was launched on December 14, 2021, and since then CTA has implemented the project through well-thought-out activities tailored to “enable existing Original Inhabitants efforts to revamp dying cultural values, treasures and repositories.” For these reasons, promoting the culture of the Original Inhabitants through exploring cultural sites, creating awareness in our “catch them young initiative”, and displaying the richness of the culture, tradition and ways of life of the indigenous people of FCT through our annual cultural summit was part of our key targets. This will not only help to create awareness but also to showcase and revamp the culture of the OIs as well as enhance the capacity of community cultural ambassadors established by the project.
Equally, there are selected community representatives trained to negotiate good Community Development Agreements (CDA) with mining companies to address the negative environmental impacts and destruction of cultural sites due to mining activities.
The project from inception targeted vulnerable groups including people with disabilities (PWDs), children, women, youth and the elderly. This was done in compliance with the GESI component of the project.
Centre for Transparency Advocacy(CTA) was awarded the total sum of $400,000 between 2017 and 2020 by MacArthur Foundation
$100,000
2020 • 1 YEAR • ON NIGERIA
Founded in 2012, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes Nigerians to embrace people-driven, nonviolent campaigns and protests against impunity and bad governance. Its Say No Campaign emerged in 2013 as a major civil society intervention against corruption and impunity. The previous support to CTA led to the establishment of a network of organized grassroots movements focused on community development and demanding accountability from public officials. With this final award, CTA is enhancing its institutional strength and working with community members to demand accountability from local and community authorities. CTA amplifies investigative reports by the media and journalism cohort and mobilizes citizens to track constituency projects and understand and engage with corruption and its impact on their daily lives. The project uses radio programs, social media, and anti-corruption champions to engage communities. CTA is collaborating with other Foundation grantees to implement the project and will leave communities better able to continue demanding accountability. This award contributes to On Nigeria’s goal of reducing corruption by supporting Nigerian-led efforts that strengthen accountability, transparency, and participation
$300,000
2017 • 3 YEARS 3 MONTHS • ON NIGERIA
Formed in 2012, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) is a non-profit organization that mobilizes Nigerians to embrace people-driven, nonviolent campaigns and protests against impunity and bad governance. Its “Say No Campaign” emerged in 2013 as a major civil society intervention against corruption and impunity. This award enables the CTA to simplify investigative reports by Foundation media and journalism grantees and mobilize citizens to understand and engage with corruption and its impact on their daily lives. The project uses radio programs, social media, and anti-corruption champions to engage communities. The project contributes to a new atmosphere of accountability, transparency, and good governance by extending the reach of information to ordinary citizens and creating opportunities for them to take action.
