Weekly Blog Series on CDA Pilot in Nigeria Launched Today

My name is Alena Tansey, and this series of weekly blogs will chronicle the CDA Pilot Project and give the inside scoop on the challenges, opportunities and adventures surrounding our work here in Bayelsa. I am extremely excited by this project—because of the challenge, the good idea, the interesting team and the commitment of the Nigerians. While I am relatively new to asset-building theory, development work, and the Niger Delta, I do have experience in Nigeria and a strong personal commitment to doing good and interesting work. I am more knowledgeable about the Delta’s militancy challenges (my Masters is in International Security Policy and Africa from Columbia University’s SIPA) than its economic ones, but I personally believe that it is critical for there to be more projects like this if Nigeria is to rise above either of them.  I have worked for African institutions before, specifically at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria.

 

The CDA policy pilot project aims to help 1000 Bayelsan youth (ages 12-15) change their financial and personal futures by opening up savings accounts, develop the habit of savings and receive financial education. Most of these children and families have never saved and lack the assets they need to continue their education or make other productive investments. The Bayelsa State Government will incentivize the new habit by matching whatever the students put in 2:1. These experiential lessons will be supplemented with financial education for the students and their families.  Safeties are in place to avoid abuse of the savings plan. [A policy brief explaining the pilot’s goals and structure in more detail will be available in the coming weeks.]

 

Bayelsa State, Nigeria, is in many ways a beautiful state—the scenery is green, the people are friendly, the roads and buildings are clearly new and well-maintained.  Yet, the Niger Delta region has a troubled history of militancy, oil, infrastructure problems, corruption, kidnapping, poor governance and extreme gaps between the rich and the poor.

 

The head of Bayelsa State, Governor Sylva, is very forward-thinking: even on his birthday, he hosted a lecture on poverty and Millennium Development Goals. He has also established a Foundation for Orphans, Widows and the Elderly. The Bayelsa State Government has shown considerable commitment to the project: not only by funding it, but also providing all the logistics: office, staff transportation and security.

 

Successful implementation of this project certainly requires the support and coordinate of a variety of stakeholders: on the Bayelsa State Government side alone, the Project is organized by Governor Timipere Sylva along with the Ministries of Finance, Education, Youth, Information and Local Government Authorities. No easy task. Yet, the commissioners of these ministries have already made significant contributions of their time, and have given the team and consultant significant leeway over the design of the project, within the context of the needs of the Bayelsa State Government and its people.

 

I’m looking forward to the things we will learn and the positive impact we might make in this project and to sharing experiences and insights here on The Ladder. In the meantime, I welcome any questions and comments.