Three Devcoms Network Immersion fellows: Yusuf Ibrahim of The Nations Newspaper, Mr. Onche Odeh of the Daily Independent Newspaper both in Lagos Nigeria and Alex Abutu of the News Agency of Nigeria Abuja are among the eleven international journalists participating at the upcoming 3rd High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness taking place in Accra Ghana.
While in Ghana, the three Immersion fellows will be receiving on-the-spot mentoring form a mentor of the program.
Ministers from over 100 countries, heads of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, donor organizations, and civil society organizations from around the world are gathering or the three day meeting to deliberate on helping the developing countries and marginalized people in their fight against poverty by making aid more transparent, accountable and results-oriented.
Recently, critiques of the impact of aid have become more vociferous as the global campaigns to increase aid have gained momentum, particularly since 2000. Many people argue that aid is never effective but believe that aid will achieve significant impact when properly directed and managed, particularly in areas such as health and basic education.
Aids is only one factor in the complex process needed for poor countries to develop, as such effective economic growth, good governance transparency in budgeting and spendings are to be advocated and assured. There is an urgent need for the adoption of a democratic, instead of institutional system in the process of aid effectiveness that would include the participation of all stakeholders and the broader masses, if real transformational change would occur.
This meeting would build the capacity of journalists to act as watchdogs to ensure that governments are committed to be transparent in the utilization of aids and live up to their political commitment. Messers Yush, Onche and Abutu --Devcoms Network fellows --are part of the core group of Nigerian health reporters being immersed in organizations across Nigeria to effect the media advocacy for better Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria.
The 3rd High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness intends to:
• review progress in improving aid effectiveness
• broaden the dialogue to newer actors
• chart a course for continuing international action on aid effectiveness
The official forum website: www.accrahlf.net
* By Nnenna Ike
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