The Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Mr Monday Osasah, made the disclosure in his welcome remarks at the MFN inception meeting organised by the centre in Abuja.
He said, “I am pleased to welcome you to the project inception meeting for the initiative – Core Support for Network Building of Male Feminists in Support of Gender-Based Violence Prevention in Nigeria, also known as the Male Feminists Network (MFN) project, implemented by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD).
“The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) is set to train over 1,000 male leaders and influencers within the next two years as active allies within their communities and sectors to facilitate the smooth implementation of the MFN Male Feminists Network (MFN) project.
“Through the MFN project, the Centre intend to develop a vibrant network of male feminists who will actively promote the prevention of gender-based violence and advocate for women’s rights.
“We believe men play a crucial role in challenging harmful masculinities and encouraging positive attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls. By engaging men and boys in gender advocacy, we aim to create a more just and equitable society where women and girls can flourish.
“The implementation of the project – “Male Feminists Network (MFN)” – will involve building the capacity of male leaders in gender advocacy, feminist principles, and GBV prevention; strengthening the Male Feminist Network; engaging Traditional and Religious Leaders; raising public awareness on gender equality and GBV prevention; mentoring male advocates; and collaborating with Women’s Rights Organisations and female feminists.
“The goal is to train over 1,000 male leaders and influencers within the next two years to become active allies within their communities and sectors. To facilitate the smooth implementation of the MFN project, the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) has selected six partners, based on specific criteria, from each of the six geopolitical zones.”
He mentioned the partners to include:
CITAD – North West, Lawyers Alert – North East, Kozaki Foundation – North Central, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) – South West,
Neighbourhood Environment Watch (NEW Foundation) – South East, and Value Rebirth & Empowerment Initiative (VREI) – South South.
According to him, since the grant approval by the Ford Foundation, several developments have taken place at the Secretariat, including:
1. Holding a feminist award to honour individuals who have demonstrated commitment to feminist values and have made significant contributions to promoting gender equality.
2. Recruitment of two consultants — one for baseline assessment and another for developing the training manual.
3. An authored book on feminism, including a chapter review, with publication in progress.
4. Development of online courses, with team meetings with the consultant every Sunday at 8 pm to review progress and incorporate input.
On the imperative of the inception meeting, he said it serves to accomplish the certain objectives which includes the following:
1. Clarifying Project Objectives: Ensuring all stakeholders understand the project’s goals, scope, and deliverables.
Establishing Communication Channels: Defining how stakeholders will communicate, including frequency, format, and channels.
2. Setting Expectations: Aligning stakeholder expectations regarding timelines, roles, and responsibilities.
Building Team Dynamics: Introducing team members, fostering collaboration, and establishing a positive working environment.
3. Identifying Risks and Assumptions: Discussing potential risks, assumptions, and dependencies that may impact the project.
4. Defining Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outlining each team member’s tasks, accountability, and authority.
Outlining Project Plans: Reviewing the project schedule, milestones, and critical path activities.
The inception meeting, he said, sets the tone for the project, ensures everyone is aligned, and helps prevent misunderstandings or miscommunication in the future, urging everyone to participate fully in all the deliberations, towards maximising the potentials of the meeting in achieving the set goals.
The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and think tank in Nigeria, founded to build strategic leadership for sustainable development across Africa. The Centre’s mission is to work with forces of positive change to empower citizens to transform society. Its programmes are executed through research, capacity building, advocacy, and campaigns based on the principles of catalytic partnership and rights-based approaches to programming. The Centre is guided by eight core values, including diversity, integrity, feminism, human dignity, pan-Africanism, accountability, transparency, and transformative change.
