AONN Pushes NGOs to Look Inward for Sustainability

BY Prosper Okoye

Nigerian non-governmental organisations have been urged to strengthen internal systems, seek more local funding and build partnerships to survive beyond their founders as foreign donor support dwindles.

The call was made at a capacity-building programme organised by the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Association of Orphanages and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN), where participants were encouraged to rethink how their organisations are structured and funded.

AONN FCT Chapter Coordinator Kiema Ogunlana said strengthening the capacity of member organisations was central to the association’s mandate.

She said participants examined their organisational structures to identify gaps and were introduced to strategies for improving visibility, monitoring their activities and demonstrating impact.

“We taught them how to source for local funding as foreign donor funds are dwindling,” Ogunlana said.

The discussions also focused on building organisations that can function independently of their founders, a challenge experts said had contributed to the collapse of some Nigerian NGOs.

Dr Robinson Mavis, senior adviser at Heal the Youth Foundation, said strong internal systems were essential if organisations were to survive changes in leadership.

She said many organisations in Nigeria were established around the passion and personality of their founders without sufficient attention to succession and institutional structures.

“We have repeated patterns here in Nigeria. We just create a business out of passion, and most times it dies after them,” Mavis said.

She said NGO leaders should see their work as building institutions that extend beyond themselves rather than structures dependent on their continued presence.

“If you come with the mindset that you are building a career, a profession that is beyond yourself, your approach would be different,” she said.

Hauwa Abbas, founder of Silver Lining Initiative, said some NGOs also begin operations without adequate understanding of government laws and policies governing their activities, while failing to build networks through which they could learn from other organisations.

“We need to work together and collaborate to be more impactful,” Abbas said.

She urged organisations to regularly assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and to explore pro bono professional services, volunteers and other forms of local support instead of focusing solely on cash donations.

“People are willing to help locally if you are willing to ask,” Abbas said, adding that NGOs could tap into in-kind support even in a difficult economic environment.

She also called for greater professionalism in staffing and organisational management.

The AONN FCT Coordinator encouraged organisations working with orphans and vulnerable children to join coalition or other relevant coalitions, saying such networks could help them strengthen and expand their work.

Participants received certificates of attendance at the end of the programme.