PACE, Kaduna Hosts ‘Whole of Society’ Workshop to Tackle Governance, Climate Challenges
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
In a bold step towards inclusive governance and sustainable development, Kaduna State is hosting a two-day technical session under the “Whole of Society Approach Workshop,” convened by the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE).
The workshop, which began on Monday, is funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented in collaboration with the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (P&BC).
Helding in Zaria, the workshop brings together stakeholders from government, civil society, the private sector, Civil Society and the Media with a common aim to co-develop solutions that address service delivery gaps and governance blockages, particularly those affecting the most vulnerable.
Commissioner Calls for Collaborative Action
Delivering the opening remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, Hon. Mukhtar Monrovia, represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Bashir Abubakar, stressed the importance of collective responsibility and partnership in improving governance outcomes and climate resilience.
“It’s a privilege that we gather here today, united by a shared commitment to transforming governance and service delivery through collaboration, innovation, and a people-centered approach,” the Commissioner said.
He described the workshop as a significant opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, diagnose governance challenges, and co-create strategies that respond to community needs.
According to him, “By combining evidence, advocacy, citizen feedback, capacity building, sector expertise, and resource mobilization, we aim to co-design strategies and strengthen platforms for impactful reforms.”
He urged all participants to be active contributors throughout the two-day session. “Your expertise and perspectives are vital to building and sustaining coalitions that foster inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance,” he added.
Addressing Service Delivery Gaps and Climate Governance
The PACE programme aims to support inclusive coalitions that can engage government actors, resolve governance and climate-related issues, and hold leaders accountable for Nigeria’s climate commitments.
By deploying a “whole of society” approach, the initiative hopes to draw from lessons of past governance reforms and citizen engagement models in Kaduna State.
Speaking on the rationale and expectations of the workshop, Victor Ashiriba, Issue-Based Project Facilitator for PACE, emphasized the importance of structured, transparent, and inclusive stakeholder engagement.
According to him, the workshop aims to facilitate transparent engagement to enable a structured and inclusive process for identifying and prioritizing key governance and climate issues.
Strengthen engagement platforms to identify and reinforce coalitions and platforms that bring together citizens, state, and non-state actors to discuss pressing governance and service delivery concerns.
And to also diagnose governance challenges to foster knowledge sharing and raise awareness about the major barriers to effective service delivery, particularly in climate governance and public service sectors.
Ashiriba, explained that PACE will be building on the existing achievements made by different FCDO programmes in Nigeria for over 20 years.
“Governance constraints are holding back Nigeria’s ability to respond to the impacts of climate change and support mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Nigeria is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world, the impacts of which are already being felt with increased floods, droughts and reduced agricultural productivity.
“Together these factors pose a major development and security challenge for Africa’s most populous country, driving instability and tensions, and inhibiting sustainable growth and prosperity. So this programme will build on learning and successes of 20 years of governance programming in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that interventions are more impactful when they are fundamentally informed by local politics, adding that “PACE will therefore take a thinking and working political approach, facilitating coalitions which unite diverse actors including the private sector around common issues to drive change.
“It will invest in continuous learning and contribute to the global knowledge base, addressing political economy approaches to governance and climate change.”
Towards Inclusive and Accountable Governance
Participants at the workshop include representatives from ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), civil society organizations (CSOs), community-based groups, media, and the private sector. The workshop is also drawing insights from previous initiatives within Kaduna State to guide its approach.
According to organizers, this collaborative effort is essential to foster ownership and sustainability in governance reforms. By creating inclusive spaces for dialogue and feedback, the PACE programme seeks to embed accountability mechanisms that improve both service delivery and the state’s response to climate challenges.
As deliberations continue over the two days, participants are expected to develop actionable strategies and commit to joint implementation efforts that will benefit communities across the state, particularly the poorest and most climate-vulnerable populations.
