Activities in Nigeria
Our partners
ADA (Abanbeke Development Association) is our partner in Nigeria tackling severe social exclusion.
Our partners
EOCDF (Eastern Obolo Community Development Foundation) works to support traditional fishing communities in a resource-rich environment.
Village Aid works with ADA to support some of the poorest and most severely neglected groups in Obudu, Cross River State, South East Nigeria. We work with ADA to alleviate poverty by providing people with access to credit and land, raising awareness of civil rights and promoting social justice. ADA mainly supports widows and single mothers who make up 58% of the total population where ADA works.
EOCDF is a new partner of Village Aid and we are working hard to try and support their work. We are hoping to develop new projects and acquire funding for the effective work they are carrying out in the Niger Delta.
ADA
Where ADA works, young women and widows are denied their inheritance rights and access to land because of traditional patriarchal law. Witchcraft accusations and the practice of early forceful marriage are common. The global economic instability is driving food costs up, yet widows in the target area are earning less. The most vulnerable people do not have the confidence to defend their interests, negotiate for their basic needs or access government services. Through ADA, many women gain access to land by lobbying chiefs and those in power. A leadership programme that supports women groups develop confidence and negotiation skills to claim their rights, has been implemented. Enterprising activities have raised the social status of widows in the area.
ADA also provides disadvantaged people with a second chance of gaining basic education. Young unemployed people have received computer training and a livelihoods clinic has been set up for youth, to give them direction and help them secure a job. Loans are provided for those setting up small business enterprises and expanding farms. ADA also offers training on improved farming techniques that reduce soil erosion and increase soil fertility. ADA has set up a community forest regeneration site for agricultural training. Group farms which are controlled by women, are resulting in increased food production therefore increasing the income of the household.
EOCDF
Eastern Obolo is an oil-producing community in Akwa Ibom state, and regarded by the UN as one of the poorest local government areas in the country. The Eastern Obolo Community Development Foundation (EOCDF) has been supporting traditional fishing communities to engage more effectively with oil companies and government agencies to tackle the enduring consequences of the socially destructive interplay of abundant oil resources and systemic corruption.
Country facts & figures
| Country fact file | |
| Capital | Abuja |
| Gained independence | 1/10/60 |
| Area | 923,768 km2 |
| Population | 148 million |
| GDP | $191.4bn |
| Government | Republic |
| Adult Literacy Rate | 69% |
| Life expectancy | 47.8 |
| UNHDI position | 154/179 |
