Established in 2005, PACT Nigeria is part of PACT–a networked global organization that builds the capacity of local leaders and organizations to meet pressing social needs in dozens of countries around the world. Our work is firmly rooted in the belief that local communities must be the driving force in ending poverty and injustice.

 

Pact has extensive experience in supporting civil society and government institutions through building institutional capacity, information management, advocacy campaigns, and policy dialogue with relevant government officials. These projects have been financed by the US Government and other donors such as the World Bank, DFID, Sida, and the EU and Global Fund, and have focused in the areas of advocacy, organizational capacity building, increasing public participation with parliament, and anti-corruption.

 

Pact Nigeria has a holistic program approach that builds upon lessons learned from past democracy and governance programs implemented in Nigeria, as well as the momentum from recent anti-corruption efforts in the country. ADVANCE implementation consists of mutually reinforcing activities – in CSO institutional strengthening, capacity building for advocacy for good governance and civic engagement.

 

The ADVANCE program is guided by a number of principles that reflect an understanding of the Nigerian context and provide parameters within which program implementation is flexible in adapting the dynamic political environment of Nigeria:

·    Local partnership is essential for the effectiveness, sustainability, and legacy of program activities

·    Reduced corruption can best be achieved by building democratic structures and processes that foster transparency and accountability

·     Coalitions of organizations with common advocacy priorities are the most effective means for impact at the national level

·     The most effective approach to building advocacy capacity is applied learning

·     Capacity building will be most effective if provided to 6 – 10 organizations over the five-year program

·     Advocacy will be conducted by the Strategic CSO partners

·   Partnering with government on anti-corruption initiatives must focus on institutionalizing participatory processes for sustained engagement

The REACH Nigeria Project

REACH Nigeria-is an acronym for Rapid and Effective Action Combating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. It is a new USAID-funded program focusing on enhancing the scale and quality of a comprehensive civil society response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. About $18 million over 5 years. REACH Nigeria project will draw on one of Pact’s core competencies of grants management, providing sound stewardship of donor resources; and building organizational and technical capacities of civil society organizations. REACH Nigeria will ensure quality and comprehensive OVC and AB services at the grassroots level. It will also build project management capacity to facilitate the graduation of indigenous sub partners to prime partners.

Goal:

To contribute to enhancing the scale and quality of a comprehensive civil society response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, with a focus on addressing gaps in HIV prevention and OVC programming.

Objectives:

•         To mobilize and support community-based responses to AB and OVC programming through an effective and transparent grant award and administration system

•         To provide HIV/AIDS implementers with access to financial resources and high quality technical expertise to assist in achieving and effectively reporting results

•         To build sustainability through provision of technical assistance to local sub-grantees in their capacity to deliver quality OVC and AB services at the grassroots level

•         To strengthen referrals and linkages for increased access to AB and OVC programming through capacity-building of sub-grantees

•         To build sustainability and document evidence-based best practices, lessons learned and new approaches, tools and methodologies by engaging with local sub-grantees

•         To create economic advancement opportunities through the active engagement of private or business sectors in work force development for persons affected by HIV/AIDS and other Caregivers

Our Strategic Approach

Pact's approach to combating HIV/AIDS is based on community development principles combined with best practice programming, such as:

•         Mobilize and support community-based responses

•         Capacity Building

•         Referral and linkages

•         Working with the private sector

•         Monitoring & Evaluation

Core Activities (OVC)

The approach will be child centered and family and community focused, thereby:

¡        strengthening the capacity of  families to cope with their problems,

¡        mobilizing and strengthening community-based responses,

¡        increasing the capacity of children to become proactive in meeting their own needs, and

¡        Integrating care services for children within existing prevention and care programs.

Core Activities (AB)

Activities will be focused on implementation according to Nigeria’s HIV Prevention Plan and will build upon lessons learned under ongoing HIV prevention programming. There will be a particular focus on reaching rural populations with key AB messages.

Geographic Coverage

Pact will be programming in the following geo-political zones:

·        North Central-Nasarawa, Niger and Kwara States

·        South-West-Ekiti and Ondo States

·        South East-Ebonyi and Enugu States

·        South South-Bayelsa and Rivers States

Programming by State

·        OVC- Nasarawa, Niger, Kwara, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ekiti and River  States

·        Prevention-Ekiti , Ondo and Bayelsa States

Overall target

For the 5 years the REACH Program will: 

¡        Reach  50, 000 OVC

¡        Train 21, 026 Care Givers

¡        Reach 79, 000 persons with AB Prevention messages

¡        Train 1, 500 persons to provide AB prevention messages

¡        Sub grant to and build capacities of 200 CBOS/ FBO