MacArthur Foundation celebrates 30 years of impact in Nigeria

Sometime in January 1994, a group of scholars and activists gathered in Ibadan, south-west Nigeria, to mark the opening of MacArthur Foundation’s Nigeria Office for the Population and Reproductive Health Programme. Three decades later, the foundation has expanded its reach, introducing several undertakings, initiatives, and programmes in Nigeria.

The organisation hosted an anniversary luncheon on Wednesday with the theme: “30 Years of Forging Partnerships for Development in Nigeria.” The programme was put together to commemorate the foundation’s three decades of work in Nigeria and to celebrate MacArthur’s grantee partners and collaborators over the years.

“Our 30th year in Nigeria is a landmark moment to pause and reflect,” said Kole Shettima, the Country Director of the MacArthur Foundation in Nigeria, “The depth, breadth, and timing of MacArthur’s investment is a symbol of our commitment to Nigeria.”

In the last 30 years, MacArthur Foundation has awarded more than 800 grants, totalling $257 million to 256 organisations and 135 individuals based in Nigeria. It has also awarded $57 million in grants to more than 100 organisations outside Nigeria for work focused on Nigeria.

“We have learned that social change is incremental and takes time,” Mr Shettima added. “That is why today, we celebrate our partners as they continue to deepen voice, accountability, and justice while acknowledging that more work remains to be done to protect anti-corruption gains, scale solutions, and co-create sustainable strategies across differences, truly leaving no one behind.”

The MacArthur Foundation is guided by a vision committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world.

In his remark, John Palfrey, the President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, said their main goal is finding answers to the question: how can we improve the quality of life for ordinary Nigerians?

“MacArthur seeks to be not just a grantmaker but also a thought leader. We facilitate and encourage the field of philanthropy to evolve into a more agile and stronger ally. We know that funding the work is important, but it is only half the story. Organisations must be able to thrive to drive sustainable change,” Mr Palfrey said in Abuja.

In his speech, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who was represented by his Special Adviser on political matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, noted that the experience of the MacArthur Foundation reflects determination and unyielding zeal for a better society.

“The foundation has solidified its place as a voice of the vulnerable, whether it is championing Girl Child education or advocating for the Fundamental Human Rights of people, your intervention resonates with the heartbeat of humanity.”

The vice president added that the platforms MacArthur uplifted have become catalysts for the formation of Nigeria that works. “Today, I extend the hands of partnership by inviting the MacArthur Foundation to work closely with us as we strive to fastrack our promises to the nation. In areas where our interests aligned, let us demonstrate that we are united in one purpose – to serve the people of Nigeria.”

Projects in Nigeria

MacArthur’s first project in Nigeria was Population and Reproductive Health (PRH), an initiative that fostered partnerships and shifted the maternal and childcare landscape in Western Africa. Under the PRH, the organisation supported individuals through the Fund for Leadership Development.

This support enabled local leaders to make substantive contributions to the field of population and reproductive health by promoting innovative solutions and fostering new, inclusive leadership. “The recipients of this fund are now national and global leaders in the field,” Mr Shettima said.

It also invested in Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) with projects in Girls’ Secondary Education. This project led to an increase in girls’ enrollment in schools, more inclusive classrooms across communities, and the amplified voices of girls, boys, and teachers among other gains.

Then came the Human Rights and International Justice programme. This programme supported efforts to reform Nigeria’s criminal justice and electoral systems, and monitor local government resources and oil revenues for greater protection of human rights.

The foundation also participated in higher education as part of a seven-member donor collaborative called the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa. Working with four universities and the higher education sector, the organisation invested in advancing universities and centres of excellence, developing a new generation of academics and library resources, and creating a backbone of internet connectivity to undergird research, scholarship, and campus-community relations.

The universities that benefitted from this programme are, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Bayero University Kano, University of Ibadan, and University of Port Harcourt.

Under this programme, the foundation supported 268 doctor of philosophy and 222 master’s degree graduates across the four universities.

By 2015, the foundation had pivoted to the On Nigeria project, supporting Nigerian-led efforts to reduce corruption and enhance accountability. It was the sixth MacArthur programme in Nigeria. From 2015 to January 2024, MacArthur invested over $150 million in the programme through 317 grants to more than 200 grantees and subgrantees.

“After almost ten years of our Big Bet strategy, we are pleased to see more responsive government agencies and a stronger civil society leading collective action to test and enable laws and policies necessary to stay the course on accountability,” Mr Shettima said.

Under the On Nigeria project, the MacArthur Foundation has the education cohort, an accountability effort that promotes the effective and efficient use of public resources by reducing corruption in the sector. This project focuses on two programmes – the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund and the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme.

Then the Criminal Justice Cohort, under which CSOs develop model laws and policies that incorporate the essential, unifying and progressive elements of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

It also has the Media and Journalism Cohort where independent media houses and more journalists conduct high-quality data-driven investigative reports to expose corruption, monitor anti-corruption promises and advanced solutions practices.

Speaking on the successes recorded over the last three decades, Bolanle Awe, a professor of History and pioneer Director of MacArthur in Nigeria, said the foundation has made history. “The success of this foundation is stretched all over Nigeria and I congratulate all those who have been active in promoting the work of the foundation,” she said.

Impact

The three decades of grantmaking have spanned many endeavours in partnership with Nigerians, said Mr Palfrey, the president of the Foundation.

“Our work has saved lives through advancements in Population and Reproductive Health. In other programmes, we have seen improvements in everyday lives through grantees’ work in higher education and Girl’s Secondary School education.”

“Over the past nine years, the On Nigeria project has successfully contributed to the emergence of a more robust and resilient accountability ecosystem, in which a diverse set of CSOs , community groups and government officials work together to pursue integrity,” Mr Palfrey added.

In a goodwill message, Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary General, said the foundation’s work over the last three decades has demonstrated the power of a participatory approach to development.

“Your efforts approve that change is possible as we work together on shared values. Foundations like MacArthur are key players in the race to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” Ms Mohammed said.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, one of MacArthur grantees, Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, said they received support to advance public accountability and fight corruption.

“All the support that YIAGA Africa has received from MacArthur foundation has done three things – to renew citizen’s faith in democracy, strengthened our institutional capacity, and it changed the behaviour of citizens towards anti-corruption.”

“With this, I will tell you that MacArthur’s three decades of work in Nigeria is defined by one word – Impact. Its impact is seen in building a country that believes in the rule of law, in fighting against corruption, in promoting reforms to our electoral process, and of course its impact is also there in strengthening our democratic institutions,” Mr Itodo said.