Events
Bege Foundation Equips Local NGOs for Sustainable Growth and Donor Engagement
The Bege Foundation In collaboration with the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN) on Friday 24th October 2025 held a one-day Organizational Capacity Building Workshop aimed at equipping non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with the knowledge and tools needed to strengthen their institutional systems, enhance documentation, and improve access to donor funding.
The training, held in Jos, focused on key areas such as organizational capacity assessment, identifying capacity needs and objectives, developing effective policies, and ensuring compliance with donor and government requirements.
In his welcome address, the Team Lead of Bege Foundation, Mr. Kenneth Attah, said the workshop was designed to help organizations better understand their internal systems and improve their chances of securing donor support.
“Many organizations struggle to access funding because they lack proper documentation and systems,” Atta explained. “This workshop will help participants strengthen their organizational structures and documentation processes so they can meet donor requirements and successfully attract funding.”
He expressed appreciation to participants for attending despite their busy schedules, adding that the session would be interactive and practical.
“By the end of this training, I believe every participant will return to their organization better equipped to follow due process and meet funding expectations,” he added.
Leading the training, peacebuilder and development expert Mr. Godwin Okoko said the workshop was prompted by the observation that several NGOs in Plateau State often miss out on donor opportunities due to inadequate institutional capacity.
“Over the years, we’ve seen that while Plateau has more than 100 NGOs working in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, many are unable to access donor grants,” Okoko noted. “The problem isn’t the lack of passion — it’s the absence of systems. Donors will not release funds to organizations that don’t have functional structures, policies, or compliance frameworks.”
He explained that the workshop, organized in partnership with the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network, was meant to prepare local organizations for upcoming grant opportunities by helping them understand and meet donor expectations.
“We are building the capacity of NGOs to ensure they have effective organizational systems, operational policies, and compliance with government laws on taxation, labor, and pensions. These are key requirements for any donor grant,” Okoko emphasized.
He added that the training served as both an enlightenment and preparatory platform to ensure that Plateau-based organizations are not left behind when new opportunities arise.
The Chairman of the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network, Mr. Nanmak D. Bali, described the capacity-building workshop as timely and a valuable partnership aimed at strengthening the network’s capacity. He noted that the initiative focuses on sharing knowledge and information that will contribute to the network’s overall growth, emphasizing that such collaboration embodies the true spirit of networking.
Speaking on the long-term impact, Mr. Bali explained that the training would greatly benefit peacebuilding NGOs in Plateau State, especially new and emerging organizations. According to him, the workshop will help these organizations build their internal capacity, improve office structures, and meet the necessary standards for funding opportunities, enabling them to access grants and uphold proper due diligence in their operations.
One of the participants, Ms. Longdi Alexander Yildet, Executive Director of ThinkSHE Aid Foundation, described the session as a major eye-opener for emerging organizations.
“As a young organization, this workshop has shown us the gaps we need to address,” she said. “We’ve learned the importance of developing operational policies, maintaining updated documents, and ensuring that our staff understand and adhere to organizational policies. It’s been an enlightening experience for us and for other participants as well.”
The workshop concluded with a commitment from participating organizations to implement the lessons learned, improve their internal systems, and position themselves for greater collaboration and funding opportunities.
Lingzhi Global Nigeria Ltd. has announced plans to hold the second edition of the Coffee Festival International Nigeria in Calabar, Cross River State, from October 30 to November 1, 2026, as part of efforts to promote coffee production and expand opportunities across the value chain.
The festival, organised in collaboration with the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, NACOFTAN, will be held under the theme, “Coffee Sustainability and Empowerment: Focusing on Women and Youth Development,” with emphasis on skills development, community development and job creation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lingzhi Global, Mrs. Blessing Nanman, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, saying the event would bring together coffee stakeholders, investors and international participants to explore opportunities in farming, processing, packaging, marketing and export.
“Farmers have gone to work. Some processors are already at the verge of breaking through. This is the time where we want to invite all investors, partners and international organisations to support us in the coffee industry,” Nanman said.
She said the maiden edition attracted participants from different countries, while the 2026 festival is expected to draw representatives from about 30 countries. According to her, the event would further define opportunities within the coffee value chain and encourage local consumption of coffee.
Nanman said Lingzhi Global was also expanding its coffee business through the establishment of coffee shops, noting that the outlets had become platforms where communities, families and people from different backgrounds could connect over coffee.
She said Cross River was selected to host the second edition because of its potential for coffee production and the state government’s efforts to expand cultivation through the distribution of millions of coffee seedlings.
Speaking on the forthcoming festival, Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, commended Lingzhi Global for its role in promoting coffee and tea development in the state and for working with stakeholders to strengthen the sector.
He said the company had contributed efforts to improve farmers’ access to seedlings, knowledge and markets, describing its partnership with the state as important to the development of the coffee value chain.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Lingzhi Global, organisers of the International Coffee Festival, and NACOFTAN,” Ebokpo said.
The commissioner said the festival would give Cross River greater visibility as a coffee-producing destination while creating opportunities for women and young people to participate in the industry.
“This is also an opportunity for us to use the festival as a platform to create jobs for our people, particularly women and youths, while providing them with opportunities to learn more and develop their skills,” he said.
Ebokpo said the coffee industry extends beyond farming to processing, packaging and export, stressing that young people could create businesses and develop their own brands by participating in different stages of the value chain.
He said Cross River has about 23,000 square kilometres of arable land suitable for coffee development and has the agro-ecological advantage of producing both Arabica and Robusta varieties. He added that the state plans to distribute at least 30 million coffee seedlings over five years.
President of NACOFTAN, Dr. Hassan Usman, said the festival would provide an opportunity for Nigerian stakeholders to exchange knowledge and technology with international players in the coffee industry.
“The Coffee Festival is not only Nigerian in inclusion, but international. We have people coming from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya and all the countries. The globe will be around with us,” Usman said.
Usman also commended Lingzhi Global for taking stakeholders across the country and beyond to gain knowledge in coffee processing and marketing, saying the company had played a critical role in connecting Nigerian stakeholders with international opportunities.
He said stakeholders would use the gathering to strategise on strengthening the coffee value chain and changing the narrative around coffee production in Nigeria, while calling for greater participation from government agencies, investors and other stakeholders.
The 2026 Coffee Festival International Nigeria is expected to bring together farmers, processors, roasters, investors, experts and other stakeholders from Nigeria and abroad for three days of knowledge-sharing, networking and promotion of the coffee industry.
The streets of Jos echoed with a simple message on Saturday: peace is everyone’s responsibility.
As part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of Peace, the Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative (WOPPI) joined other peace organisations for a peace walk from Old Airport Junction to Secretariat Junction Bridge.
Holding placards calling for unity, dialogue and peaceful coexistence, participants took the message of peace to the streets and into the public space.
This year’s International Day of Peace, observed on September 21, is themed “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.” The United Nations says the theme highlights the role of ordinary people as “everyday architects of peace.” (United Nations Peacekeeping)
For WOPPI Executive Director, Lantana Abdullah, the message is particularly important for Plateau, a state with a history of violent conflicts.
She said peace cannot be left to government or security agencies alone. Every citizen, she stressed, has a role to play.
“Every citizen residing in Plateau or beyond Plateau or in Nigeria must play their part in making sure we sustain and build enduring peace for everyone.”
Abdullah urged citizens to choose dialogue over confrontation, report responsibly and speak up when they see issues capable of threatening peace.
She also challenged negative narratives about Plateau, pointing out that people continue to live, work and build their livelihoods across the state despite its troubled past.
For WOPPI, women must also be at the centre of this process. The organisation works to strengthen women’s voices, train them as mediators and involve them in preventing and resolving conflicts within their communities.
The walk therefore carried more than placards. It carried a reminder: peace is not something people wait for others to create. It is something communities build—one conversation, one intervention and one peaceful choice at a time.
And in the words of this year’s global message, that investment must happen for everyone, everywhere, every day. (United Nations)
-
News4 days agoPlateau APC 2027 Campaign Council inaugurated today in Jos
-
News4 days ago
Nigerians’ data appetite drives MTN Nigeria revenue to ₦2.68tn – Technology Times
-
News2 days ago
Plateau Ndigbo Crown Chief Johnson Nwosu as New Igwe
-
News2 days ago
CrowdStrike to shell out nearly $500M for 2 AI security startups as the market for securing agents takes off
