BOX 1.1: INNOVATIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APRM IN NIGERIA (i) The emplacement of broad-based national coordinating organs (NCOs) comprising an NFP; a 50-member group (later expanded to 240 broad-based representatives in the NWG); a 14-member NSC; and a functional NFP Secretariat. Some states also put in place state working groups equivalent to the NWG. (ii) The commissioning of five LROs to conduct the country self-assessment exercise in the APRM’s four thematic areas using the assessment instruments of desk research, EDMIs, FGDs and MHSs and outsourcing three experts to collate the report. (iii) The rolling out of an information, education and communication (IEC) strategy to deepen stakeholder understanding of the APR process The IEC strategy has three strands, namely mass outreach, promotional and partnership subset strategies, and uses the following mixture of multimedia activities: (iv) (v) • The establishment of a website, www.aprmnigeria.org. • The production and airing of ‘jingles’ in the electronic media. • The production and placement of advertisements and feature articles in the print media, and the production and installation of billboards. • The production and dissemination of an APRM flyer. • The production and distribution of APRM-branded T-shirts and caps. • Participation in electronic media interactive programmes, and visits to media houses. • Hosting stakeholder workshops, etc. Undertaking a validation exercise that entailed the following: • Serialising the executive summary of the CSAR in six of Nigeria’s national dailies and weeklies, with e-mail and postal addresses supplied for receiving feedback opinions. • Printing and distributing 40 million copies of the simplified version of the executive summary of the CSAR in Nigeria’s main languages (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and English) (10 million copies each) for mass circulation, and encouraging state governments to print and distribute copies in local languages and dialects, etc. • The peer review of the report by an independent expert organisation in order to provide objective assessment that would allow the necessary gaps to be filled. • Dispatching the expanded working group in four teams to 14 clustered centres where all 36 states and the FCT participated actively. The provision of sufficient funds by government to undertake the review process. Source: Adapted from the Nigeria CSAR, January 2008. 35