The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has expressed its willingness to sustain its partnership with the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), despite growing funding constraints.
The office also urged civil society organisations (CSOs) to build stronger coalitions to maximise their impact at the grassroots.
The FCDO Regional Coordinator and Head of its Kano Office, Dr. Adamu Maikano, gave the assurance on Wednesday when members of CHRICED’s Board of Trustees paid a courtesy visit to the office as part of activities marking the organisation’s 20th anniversary.
Maikano said Nigeria remained a priority country for the UK government, noting that the country was still within the FCDO’s Tier One category and had significant opportunities to benefit from its development interventions.
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He acknowledged that the international development funding landscape was changing, but stressed that the FCDO remained committed to engaging and partnering with credible organisations such as CHRICED.
“The funding landscape is changing, but we are still committed to partnering with organisations like CHRICED for mutual benefits. The funds may not be readily available at the moment, but the willingness to support is there,” he said.
He explained that changing funding realities had made it necessary for development partners to rethink their approach, noting that the era of supporting isolated, small-scale projects was gradually giving way to more integrated interventions with broader and measurable impact.
According to him, development organisations can no longer afford to implement projects in silos, but must prioritise collaboration, community participation and long-term sustainability.
Maikano urged CSOs to establish formidable coalitions that would strengthen their collective voice, improve coordination and increase their capacity to attract funding in an increasingly competitive environment.
He also emphasised the need for beneficiaries to be involved from the conception of development projects, rather than being treated merely as recipients of interventions.
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“The future of programmes should be anchored on sustainability. We need to move beyond outputs and ask what happens after donor funding ends. The FCDO cannot be here forever. What are organisations doing to ensure that their interventions continue to benefit communities?” he asked.
The FCDO coordinator further called for more rigorous impact assessments of donor-funded projects, stressing that development partners and implementing organisations must go beyond reporting activities and outputs to demonstrate tangible changes in the lives of beneficiaries.
Maikano identified Kano as a strategic location for the UK government, assuring that there would be increased engagement with relevant stakeholders in the state.
He also highlighted human capital development, security and climate change among the FCDO’s development priorities, noting that future interventions would increasingly reflect changing needs and funding realities.
Earlier, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, CHRICED’s Executive Director, who also serves as Secretary of the organisation’s Board of Trustees, said the visit was part of activities commemorating its 20 years of promoting human rights, civic education, democratic accountability and citizen participation.
He expressed appreciation to the FCDO for its longstanding partnership and support, describing the anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s achievements and strengthen relationships with development partners.
He said CHRICED was entering a new phase that would be more strategic and expansive, with renewed efforts to deepen its interventions and fulfil its mandate.
During the interactive session, a member of the CHRICED Board, Mr. Dayo Olaide, highlighted some of the organisation’s interventions that align with the FCDO’s development priorities.
He specifically referenced CHRICED’s cash transfer monitoring initiative and other accountability-focused interventions, explaining how the organisation’s work supports transparency, citizen participation and improved delivery of public services.
Olaide also noted the potential for leveraging existing relationships to facilitate engagement with other development partners and expand support for CHRICED’s programmes.
In his remarks, the Chairperson of CHRICED’s Board of Trustees, Prof. Momodu Kassim-Momodu, appreciated Maikano for the warm reception and his expressed willingness to sustain engagement and explore areas of partnership with the organisation.
Other members of the CHRICED delegation included Prof. Abdumumini Armed, and Hajiya Nafisat Ado.
A major highlight of the visit was the presentation of CHRICED’s 20th anniversary brochure, the Action Civic Manual and other publications to the FCDO Regional Coordinator.