WACSI Reaffirms Commitment to Bolster West Africa’s Civil Society Resilience, Launches New Strategic Plan
[Accra- 16 December 2022] – The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) is well positioned to build a resilient civil society in West Africa.
The Institute has launched a new strategic plan which will reinforce its mandate and make it more responsive to the evolving needs of the third sector in the sub-region.
Launched at the Institute’s Secretariat in Accra on 1 December 2022, the five-year plan has three strategic objectives – To strengthen the institutional, technical, and technological capacity of the civil society in West Africa.
The 2023- 2027 Strategic Plan will also create, enrich, and expand an enabling environment for civil society to operate in the sub-region while strengthening the institutional capacity of the Institute.
Board Member of the Institute, Ambassador Francis Alex Tsegah noted that the plan is a demonstration of the Institute’s resolve to remain the beacon of excellence and a trusted resort of capacity strengthening for civil society organisations (CSOs).
“The Institute has responded significantly to the prevailing dearth of skills and capacity of CSOs in the region through its three-pronged intervention strategy, namely, Capacity Development; Knowledge Management; and Policy Influencing and Advocacy.
By combining these three roles, we contributed to increased political participation and established significant and strong partnerships with CSOs both organised and organic at all levels,” he said.
However, despite these successes, the WACSI Board Member noted that the Institute has the capacity to do more and the new five-year strategic plan proffers recommendations for the improvement.
Executive Director of the Institute, Nana Afadzinu, who officially launched the Strategy said the new roadmap had regional focus and the Institute was resolute to meet its objectives.
She was optimistic the plan will catapult the third sector into becoming a formidable force and play its mandate effectively for the region’s development.
Afadzinu implored the Institute’s partners, stakeholders and the civil society community to pull their weight towards the successful execution of the Strategy.
“Looking forward, we hope that we work together collaboratively to achieve the successes that we need to achieve and deal with the challenges that will be coming,” she said.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oyebisi Oluseyi is excited about the new plan as it makes bold steps to contribute towards finding solutions to the shrinking civic space and global challenges facing the civil society sector.
“The plan encapsulates the current challenges facing global civil society and I am really happy about that,” he said.
On his part, Executive Director of Caritas Bo, Sierra Leone , Dr. David Yambasu applauded the Institute for always employing participatory leadership and governance approach in its service delivery.
“This institutional culture which may have influenced the process of developing this strategic plan,” he said.
Dr. Yambasu noted that the plan makes deliberate steps to propel the prospects of moving civil society activism across borders and in particular “build bridges between the north and south divide of the globe.”
The launch of the new strategic plan attracted representatives from CSOs, INGOs as well as agents of social change and development from across the world.
