[Challenge:Future] NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK SCHEME NIGERIA

 In the rural slums of south-western Nigeria highly populated by disadvantaged
youth; poverty, dearth, diseases, hunger, illiteracy, inadequate access to
healthcare facilities, inadequate access to educational tools, barrier to learning,
and unemployment is a commonplace. Majority of the remote communities are
often marginalized and seems to be separated from their own world.
 This zone has a total population of about 15-20 million. The zone is composed of
more than 200 districts. Out of total population of the zone 56% is youth while
42% and 2% are adult and old respectively. From the whole population of the
zone 80% live in rural slums engaged in agricultural activities, which is the
dominant activity. This area is recurrently hit by various developmental challenges
and food deficit mainly because of population pressure, erratic nature of rainfall;
land shortage, backward agricultural technology (lack of modern health facilities,
agricultural implements and input) and so on. This challenges faced by this people
especially the youth has prompted us into launching the Neighborhood Network
Scheme Campaign to help this people out of their relentless misery. The
Campaign is a comprehensive equity agenda. With over 3,400 members - most of
whom live, work or worship in some of the regions toughest inner city
neighborhoods - and dozens of institutional partners, it is a results-based and
highly integrated approach focused on achieving results for youths, children and
families and transforming the systems and policies that affect families. The
campaign also involves a combination of three tightly-integrated services (a)
mobile clinic that create a direct link with our target audience, generate demand
and healthy outcomes (b) mobile library, resource and entrepreneur training
centre were at risk youths are educated, have access to educational resources,
and trained in various entrepreneurial skills and income generating activities, and
further given a revolving fund to start-up a venture (c) Mobile disaster Aid, which
helps during flood disasters. Usually the areas we serve are prone to torrential
rain and heavy down pour. We travel around predetermined rural slums running
for 9 hours a day, 3 days a week.

 Our target group are isolated, abandoned, and disable youths, children, and there
families. These groups lack the advantages and opportunities that are enjoyed by us
and others in our world. They are often deprived of rights and opportunities in life
so many of them feel frustrated and end up committing suicide. So many cases have
been reported in the past around this community. So we see this program as an
opportunity to bring sanity into their lives.

 The campaign is working to build a better bottom line for youths, children, and their families, transform the
lives of youth via skill building, family-serving systems and advocate for fair policies. We are about:
• Building community demand for results, by mobilizing residents and stakeholders around an equity agenda,
creating opportunity for families and transforming neighborhoods. The campaign is about higher aspirations,
and about providing both the expectation of a better future and the connections and collective power to
pursue it.
• Creating new connections to systems and organizations by creating new avenues and approaches for
interacting with systems that otherwise pose barrier.
• Transforming the environment to sustain the change, creating family-centered, equitable, results-focused
systems that work for all families.
• Holding ourselves and others accountable for what we say we are doing in community by using data for
decision making, tracking progress and case making.
 IMPACT
 The campaign has created a network of over 3, 400 hundred members who have signed on to create a
positive economic, social and educational change in some of the most challenged neighborhoods in south-
west Nigeria. As a result of our network:
• A workforce pipeline was created, connecting residents from economically challenged neighborhoods to
employers, including the city’s 2 largest employers, UPS and Easier Healthcare. 333 residents have been
employed, 62% in jobs with benefits
• over a thousand uses our mobile library, and are now been enrolled in schools across the neighborhood.
• Third grade proficient reading scores at our partner school have increased by 18%.
• 0ver 100 new business and ventures have been started and running.
 • campaign Organizing and its principles and tools are being rooted in other community based organizations,
the community and technical college and several of our local public systems (school system, health
department, circuit court).
 Results
 Go to scale with Network Organizing approach, as defined by the approach available to all the low-mod
income neighborhoods and begin to seat the approach in other cities.
• Partnership with Social Compact would provide real-time data, non-census, to encourage investment in our
neighborhoods.
• Funding from diverse philanthropic organizations would help to stabilize and sustain our efforts
• Earned income streams would also stabilize and sustain the work.

 We are pioneering a new approach to community building, Network
Organizing, in highly distressed inner-city neighborhoods, using emerging
research into social networks – how they form and how they function for
good and for ill – combined with the use of community organizing
techniques to establish and nurture a neighborhood network that breaks
down isolation, builds trusting relationships, and fosters confidence in
the community itself so that its members can come together and improve
the lives of families and children.
 At its very core, the Network is about social change. We are about
intentional lasting change that knocks down long-standing and persistent
inequities and social injustices. We are about creating a community of
opportunity where all children, youths and families achieve their highest
aspirations.
 The feedback received based on this campaign was wonderful. We have
created a network of over 3, 400 hundred members who have signed on
to create a positive economic, social and educational change in some of
the most challenged neighborhoods. The Network Organizing and its
principles and tools are being rooted in other community based
organizations, the community and technical college and several of our
local public systems (school system, health department, circuit court).

 Most local governments do not have the capacity to address sustainability issues effectively, much less
develop policies and ordinances to enable citizens to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. Neighborhood
Network has proven effective in improving the existing methods that communities use to pursue sustainable
projects because it provides towns that enter the program with a comprehensive package of tools, guidance
materials, training, and financial incentives to support and reward progress.
 Key Innovative Elements:
 Local Government Focus: Local governments, as the level of governance closest to citizens, have the highest
potential for effecting real change – by raising awareness, informing and mobilizing people to act.
 Specific Menu of Actions: The program provides local governments with a clear mission and a menu of
sustainable actions to achieve.
 Measurement: The program provides results-oriented measurement of sustainable goals which is the core of
an effective sustainability program.
 Champions: The program includes a coalition of motivated leaders and spokespeople to promote the
program with peers and the local community.
 Constructive Competition: Local governments compete for recognition and reward by achieving points in our
program. The competitive recognition and reward model is more effective and faster for fostering
participation and action than regulation and requirements dictated directly from state and national policy.
 Promotional Partnerships: Partnerships with state agencies, utilities, and private companies provide
recognition and funding to further motivate action and change. Neighborhood Networks has bridged
connections between academics, state agencies, government officials and corporations to support and grow
the program.

 Other organizations are beginning to replicate our model in some local communities, but we hope to take it
up on a large scale especially in the developing nations of the world.

 There is a great opportunity to take this project globally. However, In order to grow
Neighborhood Networks needs funds and staff to work with the project partners to
support expanded training, technical assistance and program support for municipal
sustainability efforts implemented through this program. We need to strengthen
value for Network members, and create conditions for broad based financial
support.

 MR MICHAEL IYANRO
 ENGR. BABALOLA OLUSOLA
 MS. ESTHER NWAFOR
 ENGR. OGHENE OBARO
 DR KELECHI ONYEIKE
 ARC. PHILIPS ODEKUNLE
 MS. OGECHI NWOKEDI
 MS. TAYO AJAYI
 MS. ADERONKE AJIBADE
 MS. TANWA ISLAMIAT
 MR. SIMON PETER
 MR. JAMES JONAH

[Challenge:Future] NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK SCHEME NIGERIA

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