Chief Joe Nwachukwu
Maybe we can look at how to develop our community capacity in terms of skills, knowledge, willingness and motivation, and organizational capacity in leadership skills and framework, community mobilisation and ownership in empowering our communities to take control of the development, implementation and monitoring of their action plans.
I would suggest Information and Communication Technology parks working in conjunction with Abba secondary schools, if possible, or located in any other suitable site, for example, Abba Central School.
Our Strategies
A key element of the approach is for us to focus on our community assets, including social, physical, financial, human and political assets as well as all other available resources and potential.
Our key strategy will be the capacity development of our community main actors at Abba general level and at the autonomous level.
These groups of main actors will then initiate these processes and take charge of. the. development and implementation of these community based projects in line with Abba general Community Action Plans (CAPs) and the autonomous Village Development Committees in the four autonomous communities.
Some Activities We Should Undertake
Community Level Capacity Development. For example, training and skills transfer for conducting sustainable livelihood assessments, community action planning and citizen government engagement.
Support for the Implementation of Community Action Plans (CAPs). For example, the provision of improved seeds, food storage facilities and dry season gardening.
Ensuring an Effective Framework for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Our Four Autonomous Communities. For example, training of Abba general coordinating teams and the four autonomous communities (village development teams). Monitoring and evaluation activities by the Abba general steering committee, through regular stakeholder workshops and documentation activities. Encouraging core (Abba) and private investors (who may own, for example, 51% shares) to inject the spirit of private entrepreneurship, business and management discipline into these projects
Setting up an Abba General Farm Settlement, which will be modern (with high-grade residential facilities and recreational facilities), using best agro-production, business and technology models. For example, drip agro-production technology and techniques, greenhouse technology farming, which enables us to produce all season varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Based on initial figures, such a farm settlement can take hundreds of Abba youth off the streets, off crime and onto profitable and wealth creating agro-allied activities within a modern agric-estate.
We could seek technical and farm-management support from our sons and daughters who have the expertise and from advisers and technicians from the state ministry of agriculture and college of agriculture.
Communities have created wealth through the use of these various agro-technologies and management approaches in countries like India, Zambia, Zimbabwe (despite the internal problems) and South Africa.
Abba General Youth Development Centre, centred around an Information Technology and Industrial Park – which will be monitored and facilitated by a Development Steering Committee, that guarantees regular training and quarterly logistic support, and also ensures the collaboration of industry actors with the Park, in order to drive innovation and invention, especially when industrialists and factories commission youth innovators, technicians and scientists to research and produce specific goods and intermediate technologies.