ActionAid partners varsities over diploma courses on humanitarian studies
The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has signed a partnership agreement with three Nigeria universities to provide diploma courses in Humanitarian Development Programs (HDP) Nexus in the country. The AAN said it entered the partnership with University of Maiduguri (UniMaid), Nasarawa State University (NASU) and American University of Nigeria (AUN). The AAN County Director, Mr Andrew Mamedu, […]
The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has signed a partnership agreement with three Nigeria universities to provide diploma courses in Humanitarian Development Programs (HDP) Nexus in the country. The AAN said it entered the partnership with University of Maiduguri (UniMaid), Nasarawa State University (NASU) and American University of Nigeria (AUN).
The AAN County Director, Mr Andrew Mamedu, yesterday during the official unveiling and signing of partnership with the three university, tagged ‘HDP Practitioners Academy’, said the agreement was to enable aid workers acquire certification in Humanitarian Development and Peace Building nexus.
He said that the HDP Nexus is about stepping up humanitarian development beyond providing response but also building resilience of the people, ensuring accountability as well as improving the livelihood of the people.
“The Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus holds immense potential, yet it largely exists as a theoretical construct, posing challenges for humanitarianism, development, and peace practitioners. Many professionals grapple with translating this conceptual framework into practical application in their daily activities.
“This is one reality we have faced over the period of working on the nexus, we have recognized this disparity and though ambitious, we are poised to bridge this. This is why are gathered here today to launch the HDP Practitioners Academy in collaboration with our university partners, the American University of Nigeria (AUN), the University of Maiduguri and the Nasarawa State University,” Mamedu said.
He said the HDP Nexus focuses on the work needed to coherently address the vulnerability of people before, during and after crises and that it challenges everyone to do things differently.
He said, “It challenges the current architecture of the how aid is delivered which is most times overstretched and operating with little coordination between project-based development and humanitarian interventions, resulting in it not effectively meeting the needs of the most vulnerable people in the long term.”
He added that ActionAid recognizes that for the nexus to work, there is a need for increased awareness, interest, and action on the part of all actors with the government taking the center seat.
“In the last three years, ActionAid has organized various capacity building events for civil society organizations, young people groups, and governments across the BAY States of Borno Adamawa and Yobe. With increased capacity and knowledge, we have seen actors better appreciate the need for the operationalization of the Nexus,” Mamedu said.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor of AUN, Prof Dwayne Frasier, said the university is focused on making sure their students are knowledgeable across fields and just an entrepreneur, or starting jobs but also investing in communities.
He noted that with several organizations coming into the humanitarian space,it’s important that they continue to improve on transparency adding that capacity building is important to train humanitarian workers on not just how to receive and spend money but also how to make a living.
The representative of University of Maiduguri said the partnership will go a long way to extending helping hands to the larger community.
Also, the Director Institute of Governance and Humanitarian Studies Nasarawa State University, Prof Andrew Zamumi, said that it will take government the move will further make government be more developments focus and more impactful in the community.