Training of Community Impact Monitors on Key Performance Indicators for the Ogoni Clean-up Project.

CEHRD environment team organised a training on Community Impact Monitoring referencing the environmental clean-up implementation in Ogoniland for oil impacted community youths from Ogoniland . The youths whom were previously identified and selected by the target communities’ leaders, had also acted as research enumerators during the community perception study of oil spill clean-up in ogoniland and the integrated baseline study household data collection in 2018. This gave them an edge as they were already conversant with the project and its activities.

The training was a 2-day activity held between the 29th – 30th April, 2019. The objective of the training as stated above is to enable long-term monitoring of the clean-up program impact by developing a community-based impact monitoring system using developed indicators framework during the baseline study.

---

We trained 16 community monitors (2 each from our target communities) on how to lookout for success pointers using the developed key performance indicators as a baseline, they will regularly update CEHRD and quarterly collect data on the various key performance indicators using simple data collection template and smartphones given to them for audio-visual evidence.

These data, once collated will be used to generate regular monitoring reports (in the form of ‘score cards’) that will serve as advocacy topics to relevant stakeholders and also inputs for multi-stakeholder meetings to discuss progress of the clean-up program.

During the 2 days training, participants were grouped into units for exercises, this was to ascertain their understanding of their recruitment as community monitors for the Ogoni clean-up project. They were able:

–       Identify human rights issues at stake due to the oil spills.

–       Parameters to look out for during the remediation of the environment – soil.

–       Livelihood structures that has been altered due to the oil spills and alternative structures provided.

–       Institutional and sustainable measures to address the health challenges caused by the oil spills.

Findings:

–       There is the need to monitor the Ogoni clean-up project.

–       Community members are in support of the clean-up exercise due to decades of suffering from the oil spills.

–       Ogoni youths have the capacity to fully participate in the clean-up exercise if they are given the chance.

–       The selected youths are eager to start monitoring the clean-up since it gives them the opportunity to ensure that the project is done by best practice.