Encountering Citizens (2001-2010)

Site(s)	Funders
Phase I: Benue State, Kaduna State Phase II: Bayelsa State, Delta State Phase III & IV: Kaduna State, Kano State, Plateau State	DFID - UK

Description:

Encountering Citizens is a long-term participatory research programme focusing on citizenship, participation, and accountability. The programme combines research with grassroots capacity building, training, and information sharing. Encountering Citizens is conducted in collaboration with the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability (IDS, University of Sussex) and a consortium of research partners from Africa, Asia and Latin America:

Theatre for Development Centre (TFDC), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Centro Brasileiro de Analise e Planejamento (CEBRAP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, National University, Mexico City, Mexico
School of Government, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Society for Participatory Research (PRIA), Delhi, India

The Nigerian programme is broken down in 4 phases (click for details):

Phase I: Inception Phase (2001)
Phase II: Perceptions, Realities, And Practices In Nigeria (2001-2004)
Phase III:Accountability and Participation (2004-2005)
Phase IV: Deepening Democracy (2006-2010) & Violence, Participation, and Citizenship(2006-2010)

Phase I: Inception Phase (2001)

Description

The 6 month Inception Phase (Phase I) of the ‘Encountering Citizens’ programme was used by the Nigerian team to analyse theoretical notions of citizenship and the rights based approach, exploring how these relate to the Nigerian context.

Results

The results were summarized in a book entitled Geographies of Citizenship in Nigeria.

Go to other phases

Phase II: Perceptions, Realities, And Practices In Nigeria (2001-2004)

Site(s)	Funders
Benue State: Gwer, Otukpo, Ohimini Kaduna State: Chikun, Giwa, Jaba, Kubau, Sabon Gari, Zangon- Kataf	DFID - UK

Description

In second phase, the Nigerian team developed its participatory research methodology characterised as ‘methodological conversations’. The methodology combines a mix of participatory development techniques including:

Theatre for Development (TFD): A ‘Citizen Drama’ was used to kick start discussions on citizenship issues in the community. The drama featured an itinerant person whose citizenship status is constantly in flux, who is in search of belonging. The character’s struggles to define his/her place in the country triggered people to share and analyse their own experiences.

Participatory Learning and Action (PLA): a range of PLA tools were used to further analyse the community situation, including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, transect walks, social maps, and force field analyses.

Indigenous Knowledge (IK): the community’s store of knowledge on indigenous governance practices were mirrored to citizenship practices in Nigeria today (making use of indigenous forms of expression such as storytelling, songs, and dance).

By means of the abovementioned techniques, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and community members collectively were engaged in asking and analysing critical questions on:

Factors that determine citizenship in Nigeria;
Ways in which people perceive their citizenship, and how these perceptions influence what people consider as their rights;
Modes by which local groups may claim the rights that citizenship of the country has conferred on them;
Factors that interfere with citizenship expressions (e.g. gender, religion, ethnicity), and how these influence the strategies people employ for rights claims

Key Results

CBOs explored notions of citizenship and analysed their own roles as citizen agencies
CBOs have been equipped with participatory development techniques that can be used for rights based actions

Go to other phases Phase III: Accountability and Participation (2004-2005)

Site(s)	Funders
Bayelsa State: Otuegwe, Otuokpoti, Nyambiri and Tuburu Delta State: Eku-Orhono, Kokori-Samagidi, Sanubi and Odovie	DFID - UK

Description

The second phase of the Encountering Citizens programme focused on citizenship perceptions, accountability, and rights issues in the Niger Delta region. A participatory research was conducted on mechanisms and processes through which local groups in this volatile oil terrain claim rights.

The research was not only about collecting information; it was an exercise of capacity building through training, networking and community building as elders, women and youth sat together to dialogue. The community dramas and other participatory strategies simultaneously served as research tools and communication media within and across communities. The community processes were documented on video for wider sharing.

The project helped articulating voices and perspectives of people in the Niger Delta, highlighting citizenship issues in relation to the complex/ multilayered tensions in the region. Ordinary people critically assessed notions of citizenship, rights, and interests served by the nation in their own voices: �Look at me! Do I look like a Nigerian, when I drink the same water where we defecate, where we wash our dirty clothes? And someone else is making money from our oil!�

Key Results

The fact that this research took place can be seen as a success story in itself. In the contested terrain of the Niger Delta- where pitched battles occur daily between government and militia, between militia and oil companies, and between warring communities – sadly enough organising and engaging with community groups over a ten-day period is an exceptional accomplishment.

Young men and women dialogued with elders, and youth groups formed community-transcending networks.

The community processes were documented on video for wider sharing.

Go to other phases

Phase IV: Deepening Democracy (2006-2010) & Violence, Participation, and Citizenship (2006-2010)

Site(s)	Funders
Kaduna State: Kabala West, Kawo, Tudun Wada and Ungwar Romi Plateau State: Ungwar Rogo and Kongo- Russia Kano State: Fagge, Sabon-Gari, and Kawo	DFID - UK

Description

The The fourth phase of Encountering Citizens programme consists of two related projects taking place concurrently in Nigeria. Both projects critically analyse the existing democratic system and governance practices in Nigeria, asking whether and how (under which conditions) these may be able to support pro-poor development. The ‘third term’ bid and its defeat by the 2007 Movement, and the successive April 2007 elections, have provided a powerful matrix/prism for examining these matters.

Nigeria’s 'wayward' democracy so far has a track record of stirring up emotions and breeding violence (both religious and ethnic) in various parts of the country. This may be seen as a key factor hindering pro-poor development. Therefore, both projects tune in on inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations, asking whether and how Nigeria will be able to construct a new political architecture promoting social relations of mutuality and peace.

‘Deepening Democracy’ focuses on the roles of political leaders and government bodies in triggering or preventing violence, and asks what they may do to promote peace and pro-poor development. ‘Violence, Participation and Citizenship ’ analyses whether and how people can articulate/ claim citizenship rights in situations of violence, and explores which social actions people may engage in to move beyond and out of violence.

Key Results

Preliminary Results (projects still are on-going):

In the capitals of Kaduna and Plateau State, conflict-oriented community drama’s were performed by a joint team of Christians and Muslims. For many, this was the first time of being close to (let alone working together with) persons of different religions since the divide of the capital cities into religious/ethnic neighbourhoods because of the riots.

The first set of community dramas successfully triggered community debates. Through video messages, community members reached out to other ethnic-religious groups – testifying how the conflicts affected their lives.

Back to Our Projects