Brochure
ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION &
CORPORATE CAPABILITY STATEMENT
Multi Sector Projects Foundation (MPF) was founded in 1999 with the key intention of creating an indigenous organization in Nigeria that is capable of utilizing locally generated research data for the deepening of sustainable development. This was done in response to widely acknowledged capacity gaps among Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria by Donor Organizations and other development partners.
MPF’s Program Strategy is to first and foremost initiate extensive research into clearly identified programmable areas and in the process involved several stakeholders such as beneficiaries, Donor Organizations, Community leaders etc prior to designing an all inclusive intervention strategies.
Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a private organization, MPF works as a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) with several International and local Non-Governmental Organizations on several projects almost always as a research partner responsible for formative research (involving literature review, qualitative assessment including focus group discussion and key informant interviews), baseline surveys, process monitoring, end-line evaluations as well as capacity building.
Operating centrally from the general development sector (as an institutional focus), MPF has, over the years, initiated projects that bring together professionals from diverse sectors to jointly provide a platform for a comprehensive and multisectoral response to various developmental problems in Nigeria. One of such strategic platforms that MPF has provided is a Resource Persons Program (RPP) which serves as a hub and fellowship scheme for indigenous professionals from the academic, private sector, NGOs, government agencies etc. These fellows are usually available to backstop projects in their core areas of competences thereby building and sharing experiences for the strengthening of subsequent intervention activities. Following this strategy, MPF initiated a public policy analysis and policy outcomes research project between 1998 and 1999 in purposively selected sample states in Nigeria in other to provide an information database for the return of the country to democracy after a long period of military misrule.
The project States included Ekiti, Ogun, Gombe and Rivers. Together with MPF Program Staff, the lead researcher, Dr Patrick Masela (South African) coordinated members of the Resource Persons Program in conducting the research works and disseminating findings throughout the country which was subsequently evaluated to have been very useful for inheritors of democratic government in dealing with issues of policy prioritization, budgeting, health and gender issues, youth education, poverty and unemployment etc.
Similarly, in 2001 MPF lunched a national research project titled “HIV/AIDS or not: Something must kill man: Obstacles to Behavior Change in the face of rapid HIV/AIDS infections in Nigeria”. This project was initiated to resolve the conflict between heavy investments by Donor Agencies on HIV/AIDS prevention and a contrasting rapid escalation of infection rates in the country. The research findings were made available to agencies working on HIV/AIDS interventions in Nigeria and formed significant inputs into the planning and adoption of a national response strategy for HIV/AIDS prevention in Nigeria. Among other things, findings identified religious beliefs, believe in a cure all traditional medicine, male dominance coupled with society’s endorsement of male risky sexual behaviors etc. In view of the uniqueness of the findings, a South African e-journal –“Soul Beat”, published the summary of the findings and placed the full text on its website: http://www.comminit.com/pdf/something_must_kill_man.pdf.
Several African (in particular Nigerian) students that were conducting research works in public health and projects on HIV/AIDS in universities at home and abroad wrote to MPF requesting approvals to enable them use and referenced the research information in their works which was immediately granted.
In 2002, the Washington DC based Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) initiated a continent wide “Culture and Health Africa Program” (CHAP), designed to discourage harmful cultural practices and promote positives ones with funding from the New York office of the Ford Foundation. PATH’s project was a pilot implemented in strategically selected African countries including Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya. In Nigeria, MPF worked on “Widowhood and Wife Inheritance” and the project field was Okon community in northern Akwa Ibom State, Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. As usual with MPF programs approach, an extensive baseline research was conducted for a comprehensive identification of developmental problematic in the region. Findings identified high prevalence rate of child trafficking and slave labor, problems related to widowhood and wife inheritance as well as property inheritance, stigmatization/ rejection of twin births, sexuality behaviors of migrant oil workers resulting in high rates of teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS, linkage between gender based poverty and the vulnerability of women to harmful traditional practices in response to pressure for survival, high rates of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), increasing number of school drop outs and street children etc. On the basis of these findings, extensive consultations were carried out with organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF, Pathfinder International, State project offices of the National Action Committee on AIDS working with funding from the World Bank’s National response fund, the Federal Government of Nigeria/European Union Micro Projects Program (MPP6) for Niger Delta, Ministries of Women Affairs, oil corporations etc.
The aim of these consultations was to enable these strategic stakeholders share in the research data, encourage them to partner in the project and facilitate a multisectoral and coordinated interventions for maximum impact and sustainability. This paid off. The UNDP initiated agricultural development project with the Widows Network that emerged from the project, UNICEF initiated WES (Water and Environmental sanitation) project, Pathfinder International Nigeria, sourced funding for organizational development from Ford foundation to train community volunteers (22 in number, men and women) for the project, FGN/EU MPP6 initiated community construction program and in the course of it renovated a market and trained youth on construction work, the World bank funded HIV/AIDS impact mitigation project through micro credit scheme implemented by the community volunteers with technical assistance from MPF.
The PATH supported, Ford Foundation funded project on Widowhood and Wife inheritance enabled MPF to mobilized almost 1000 widows into an organization called Okon Widows Network (OWN) as well as registered over 1000 orphans with the Network. It also provided an opportunity for the building of capacity of traditional rulers to deal with culture related issues in their community as well as capacity building training for community volunteers and youth. Apart from providing project deliverables to PATH regional office in Kenya, MPF documented the project activities and outcomes in a copyrighted publication and CD documentary for use by organizations opting to work on the sensitive issues of culture. This, most probably explains, why PATH’s regional coordinator for Africa, Mrs. RIKKA TRANSGRUD described MPF’s project outcomes as “the most fantastic and the best in the 3 pilot countries in Africa.”
Having gathered required experiences working on culture related issues, MPL provided technical assistance to Development Communication Center (DCC) a Community Based Organization in a neighboring area to MPF project field in northern Akwa Ibom State in 2003 to work on using folk media (through entertainment education) to address cultural issues related to stigmatization of twin or multiple births in Odoro Ikot community, northern Akwa Ibom State, supported by PATH with funding from Ford Foundation.
Apparently noticing the efficiency and thoroughness of MPF programs approach as well as credibility in working with several institutions in the Niger Delta, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited, EPNL, invited MPF to operationalize it’s partnership with other stakeholders for the implementation of the Niger Delta Trust Fund (NDTF). The NDTF is a sustainable development initiative designed to deal with the twin evils of youth restiveness and youth unemployment in Niger Delta region. Key partners for this initiative are Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited, Development Finance Office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the United Bank for Africa (UBA). MPF served as the PMO (Project Managing Organization) responsible for the utilization of the fund’s vote of N500 million per annum for a project period of three years to ensure that youth were trained in skills acquisition, women and youth cooperative societies were trained on small business development prior to accessing Micro Credit facilities for meaningful economic engagements.
During the period 2003-2005, MPF oversaw the implementation of these interventions in Egi community in Rivers State by Community Based Organizations through enterprise development, Micro Credit program, skills acquisition, craft development, conflict prevention through community consultative committees as well as the building of youth centers for competitive endeavors.
Having worked over the years throughout the length and breath of Nigeria armed with practical experiences working in traditional communities, the Population Media Center, (PMC), an international non-profit organization based in Vermont, USA, identified Multi Sector Projects Foundation, conducted reference checks and appointed MPF as her sole in-country partner responsible for the provision of research support for the implementation of the Sabido methodology in which characters evolve as role models in long running radio serial drama to enable listeners in the audience identify the need to adopt positive behaviors with regards to sexuality, girl child education, child spacing, family planning etc. From 2006 till 2010, MPF is to provide formative, baseline, monitoring and evaluation researches to Population Media Center in Nigeria for projects on HIV/AIDS prevention, Vesico Vagina Fistula, family planning, obstetric care and general maternal health. These (PMC) projects are funded by the Rotarian Action Group for Population and Development, Packard Foundation, Food, Nutrition and conservation Foundation and individual donors. PMC and MPF are also in partnership with the UNFPA for a project aimed at the prevention of fistula in North Western Nigerian States of Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna.
In line with its mandate, MPF has provided a robust research based foundation for coordinated and multisectoral development interventions with a stakeholder commitment throughout all regions of Nigeria.
Additionally, it has created opportunity for the evolution of indigenous professionals in development work that are able to use local resources in solving local problems.
WIDOWHOOD & WIFE INHERITANCE PROJECT IN OKON COMMUNITY, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
Multi Sector projects Foundation executed the Widowhood and Wife Inheritance projects in Okon community in Akwa Ibom State with support from Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and funding from Ford Foundation.
The project was executed with the following objectives:
To sensitize, educate and mobilize men to see widows as legal adults by:
- Evolving culture friendly approaches to managing the widow’s estate
- Improving gender relations , economic well being and health status of widows
- Reducing social rejection of post widowhood children
- Mobilizing an articulate group of widows who can actively participate in solving common problems within themselves.
The following intervention activities were adopted by MPF among which were community mobilizations, Nucleated Village Group Discussion, Mainstreaming the plight of highly vulnerable widows, Formation of a Widows Network and establishment of Entertainment Educational Theatre that uses folk media to advocate for changes and institutional development.
The result of the evaluation compared with the initial baseline data showed that the community response to addressing the issues of Widowhood and wife Inheritance was 85% point increase from the baseline data of 15% with a 70% point difference. It was also discovered that Widows and orphans were not mobilized as the baseline data indicated 0% while after the intervention, the evaluation result showed a significant increase of 80%, with 80% point difference.
It is also of note that baseline data indicated that Widow’s identity was none existing with a percentage level of 0%, while the evaluation data indicated significant improvement with Widows being identified as a group for itself and as Primary Change Agents (PCA) with 75% point increase and 75% point difference. Key program indicator changes from baseline to endline showed that income level of the Widows increased from 0.5% to 45%, a relative percentage increase of 44.5 points while widows access to business opportunities increase from 0.5% to 80% with a 79.5% increase.
The successful outcome of the project led to the formation of Okon Widows Network and the organization’s partnership with several international agencies.
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.
Enterprise development program is recognized in the professional community as a consolidation stage in the fight for poverty reduction. It is a consolidation stage in which vulnerability is prevented through entrepreneur’s ability to invest, make profit and boost household income and it also serves as a critical point in the transition from dependency to self reliance by lower income groups through their ability to apply skills acquired and to also employ other semi- skilled labour.
Elf petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL) apparently designed the Enterprise Development Program to consolidate its related interventions such as craft development, skills acquisition, and micro – credit with Multi Sector Projects Foundation serving as the implementing organization.
EPNL provided fund to MPF to develop the skills of 18 people on entrepreneurship and management skills.
The program aimed at:
- Promoting entrepreneurship and enterprise development in OML 58 as a means of expanding opportunities for employment and income generation in the micro and small enterprise sector for overall sustainable development ;
- Increase production and incomes of medium and small scale enterprises through skills upgrading, improved management system and enhanced access to enterprises and
- Create increased opportunities for meaningful and rewarding economic engagement of youth, women and men particularly for semi skilled workers.
The result of evaluation survey conducted by MPF on the project showed that it created a mechanism to drive entrepreneurship as an alternative to “Stay at home” payment adopted for conflict prevention by the oil corporation.
Synthesis of Needs Assessment and Evaluation reports indicated that the program achieved its goals as many as 149 direct dependants of the 18 entrepreneurs were positively impacted. Specifically, over 100 jobs were created as against the initial projection of 88 jobs, an increase of 14%.
In addition, a recorded successful diversification by 2 entrepreneurs into very lucrative businesses was achieved as:
- A business center operator diversified into satellite TV distributorship
- While the other has a very big fast food restaurant and controls flavored ice cream business in Port Harcourt.
