The country director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, has urged Nigerians to actively demand accountability from political leaders as a critical step toward the nation’s development.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day Regional People Power Forum in Abuja, themed: “Exploring Challenges and Prospects of Organizing for Social Transformation in the Midst of Rising Misery and Intensifying Strife,” Mamedu emphasized that citizens, not military interventions, hold the power to drive meaningful change.
“Africa must set the agenda for its own development, and this can only happen when social movements pressure the political class to fulfill critical promises that accelerate development from cities to grassroots,” he stated.
Mamedu called for the strengthening of “people power” and encouraged citizens to demand accountability as enshrined in the constitution.
He further stressed the importance of social movements creating “beautiful trouble” to spark transformative change.
Highlighting ActionAid Nigeria’s contributions, Mamedu said the organization’s new Country Strategy Paper (CSP), “Citizens Action to End Poverty and Injustice,” focuses on organizing, acting, shifting, and thriving (OAST) to counter oppressive governments and policies.
The CSP aligns with global efforts through its Strategic Implementation Framework (SIF 3), which prioritizes collaboration with social movements worldwide.
Mamedu noted that ActionAid recently facilitated the creation of the Movement for Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON), a coalition of over 30 million Nigerians aimed at addressing critical social issues.
ActionAid Nigeria also serves as a hub for social movement collaboration across West Africa, providing support for initiatives promoting justice, equality, and poverty eradication.
He concluded: “ActionAid envisions a just, fair, and sustainable world where everyone enjoys dignity and freedom from poverty and oppression. Through organizing and mobilizing, we aim to achieve social justice and gender equality.”
The Nation
