| Some participants at the two-day SMART Advocacy Capacity Building Workshop focused on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Primary Health Care (PHC) —organised by the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) in collaboration with EngenderHealth consortium partners, which began on Monday in Lagos. |
In a move to tackle Nigeria’s poor health outcomes, Civil Society Organisations working in RMNCAH convened in Lagos for a two-day SMART Advocacy Workshop focused on transforming primary health care delivery nationwide through strategic capacity building.
The event held at the Amber Residence in GRA, Ikeja under the auspices of the Center for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), in collaboration with EngenderHealth, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The stakeholders who were drawn mainly from across the health sector engaged with strategic advocacy tools to drive policy change and community impact in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Primary Health Care (PHC).
Similarly, participants were taken through foundational advocacy skills, beginning with an introduction to the SMART Advocacy framework, exploring the current RMNCAH and PHC landscape in Lagos State, identifying critical gaps and opportunities for intervention.
Through group exercises, they analysed local health challenges and crafted SMART objectives—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals—to guide the advocacy efforts.
Stakeholder mapping sessions enabled them to identify key allies and decision-makers essential to their campaigns even as facilitators emphasized the importance of coalition-building and evidence-based messaging to influence policy and resource allocation.
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| Some participants at the two-day SMART Advocacy Capacity Building Workshop focused on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Primary Health Care (PHC) —organised by the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) in collaboration with EngenderHealth consortium partners, which began on Monday in Lagos. |
Group work focused on refining advocacy strategies as participants engaged in power mapping to profile decision-makers and understand their motivations, targeted messages were developed with selected messengers appropriately identified to be tasked with delivering the advocacy asks effectively.
Through role-playing exercises, the CSOs simulated real-world engagements with policymakers, while brainstorming sessions laid the groundwork for detailed advocacy work plans.
The training was a game-changer for grassroots organisations, empowering movement from awareness to action with clear, strategic goals.
Key takeaways on implementation planning and resource mobilisation.
