The Peoples’ Assemblies set up by Yiaga Africa in Ikeja, Kosofe and Surulere Local Government Areas of Lagos State have started to yield results, with the local government councils meeting the needs of the citizens as identified by the assemblies in previous meetings.
This was a high point of the most recent meetings held between 25th and 30th of July, and which were attended by a team from Yiaga Africa. The People’s Assemblies were established in August 2022 with the support of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as part of institutionalising the culture of deliberative democracy at the grassroots level to promote public deliberations at the local government level between elected officials and citizens, amplify citizens’ voices on policies in their communities, and inspire confidence in democracy. Through the People’s Assemblies, the people can engage with their elected local representatives to discuss issues affecting them, and the local government council can provide insight and solutions to these problems.
In Ikeja Local Government Area, the People’s Assembly highlighted the construction of a primary healthcare centre and the rehabilitation of some roads within the LGA, which was a fulfilment of previous requests from the Assembly.
In Kosofe Local Government Area, the People’s Assembly noted an improvement in security within the LGA as a result of the interventions of the Assembly. The Assembly also highlighted how it carried out voter education in the last general election and how its relationship with the local government council has resulted in the council providing it with a hall to use for its meetings.
In Surulere Local Government Area, the successes recorded include the provision of a transformer to the community and the repair of roads in some areas due to the intervention of the People’s Assembly deliberations.
Speaking on one of the interactions with the People’s Assembly deliberation, Yiaga Africa’s Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, said the objective of the People’s Assembly was to bring together citizens of various associations to have effective interaction, deliberation, and debate on the needs of the people at the grassroots, and praised the emerging successes from it.
The meetings were also an opportunity for the people to highlight other unresolved issues in their local government areas, such as multiple taxation on shop owners and traders, the need for good drainage systems, and insecurity.
At each of the meetings, local government officials provided updates and solutions to issues raised by the people. They also promised to attend to the issues raised, with the assemblies pledging to hold them accountable to their promises.
