NIGERIA

Country Profile

Nigeria is a country in West Africa with a rich tradition and culture. Made up of many ethnic and religious groups, Nigeria has had a history of internal tensions and conflicts. It has also struggled to deal with corruption in government and private sectors, misuse of resources, and widespread poverty. CRWRC has been working in Nigeria since 1969. Together with its partners, CRWRC is helping to transform Nigerian communities to strengthen the economy, improve agricultural production, increase gender equity, promote a healthier environment, and bring about peace, prosperity, and hope.

Fast Facts

Population: 149,229,090 (July 2009 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California
Literacy rate: 68%
Life expectancy: 46.94 years (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2007 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $2,300 (2008 est.)
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:  English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

(From the World Factbook. Click here for more information on Nigeria.)

Partners

Graduated Partners
CRWRC has actively contributed to the health and vitality of several communities in Nigeria since 1969 and has successfully partnered with the following:

1. Christian Rural Development (CRD): Together with the Christian Reformed Church in Nigeria (CRCN), CRWRC empowered rural participants in poultry farming, tree planting and small scale business development.

2. Church of the Brethren (Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria – EYN): CRWRC partnered with EYN in agriculture, income generation and environmental protection.

3. Evangelism Work Among the Fulani (Aikin Bishara cikin Fulani – ABF): CRWRC partnered with ABF in helping the nomadic Fulani acquire more calves and learn about vaccinations and how to properly care for their animals.

4. Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN): Together with CRUDAN, CRWRC motivated and trained church leaders to create physical and spiritual transformation in communities.

5. Rural and Urban Resources Counselling Outreach and Networking (RURCON): Several development organizations, community groups, churches, and individuals in West Africa have benefitted immensely from the productive partnership between CRWRC and RURCON. Partnership was mainly in the areas of training, organizational capacity building, and counselling in wholistic ministry.

CRWRC no longer has financial commitments with the above five partners but has continued to provide opportunities for sharing, learning and collaboration.

Ongoing Partnerships
CRWRC is currently working with the following partners in Nigeria:

1. Reformed Ecumenical Council of Nigeria (RECON)
Through RECON, CRWRC is training deacons, elders, pastors, and women leaders in various Reformed churches in Nigeria to have a better understanding of the office and ministry of deacons. Together, they are providing these church leaders with tools and strategies to visit the elderly and sick, and help people in need to overcome poverty. They specifically focus on care for widows in church communities. Churches are encouraged to start widows’ groups and provide members with support, counseling, skill training, and small loans so that these women can start small businesses to support themselves. RECON also helps churches start literacy classes for adults in poor communities.

2. Partners Worldwide (PWW)
CRWRC and CRWM have a strong partnership with PWW in Nigeria. Through this partnership, Partners for Christian Empowerment Network (PCEN) has been established as a nongovernmental organization working to empower business members through training, mentoring, and loans to help grow businesses and create jobs.

This partnership, through the Water Wins project, is also making a huge contribution in water and community development in Eastern Kambari Area (EKA) where wells are drilled and maintained. Alongside the water development program, CRWRC and PWW’s community development program is empowering the communities in EKA in the areas of vaccination of children and mothers, hygiene, adult literacy, justice and advocacy. In collaboration with the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria (CRCN), the young church in the area is being empowered to carry out evangelism and discipleship in the area.

3. Urban Ministry
CRWRC and CRWM are working with Urban Ministry to empower impoverished communities in Jos, Lagos, Abuja, and Makurdi through adult literacy, small scale business development, discipleship training and community leadership development.

4. Beacon of Hope
CRWRC and CRWM are partnering with Beacon of Hope to help Nigerian churches respond to the HIV and AIDS situation and facilitate health education.  Through the Embrace AIDS campaign, CRWRC has been able to enhance the efforts of Beacon of Hope as they equip churches and expand their work.  CRWRC is also collaborating with USAID and Food for the Hungry International to promote sexual abstinence for singles (especially among youth) and faithfulness for those who are married, and with Oikonomos Foundation in responding to the HIV and AIDS situation in Nigeria.

5. Ecumenical Commission for Justice and Peace (ECJP)
CRWRC's newest partnership in Nigeria is ith the Ecumenical Commission for Justice and Peace (ECJP). ECJP is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization established in Nigeria in 1996 to train and motivate communities to bring about peaceful co-existence, to enhance responsive, participatory, and accountable governance, and to promote people-oriented community-based development.

6. Beautiful Gate Initiative (BGI)
Beautiful Gate Initiative is a non-governmental organization established to provide and/or facilitate physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual support to the handicapped in Nigeria. CRWRC is in a Research and Development partnership with BGI with responsibility for tracking and channeling donations from North America to Nigeria, and also providing community development consultation to strengthen BGI's organizational and ministry capacities.

7.  Grace and Light
CRWRC is in a Research and Development partnership with Grace and Light, a non-governmental organization that works to fight HIV and AIDS by dong voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), forming life sharing or accountability groups, and by working to fight stigma.

CRWRC Staff

John Orkar
John holds a doctorate degree in African History and has been working with CRWRC since June of 1983. John is married to Esther and they have 5 children.

Email:  jorkar@crwrc.org

David Tyokighir
David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and has been with CRWRC since February 1990.
Email: dtyokighir@gmail.com or dtyokighir@yahoo.com

Kyle Abts
Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and a minor in Urban Planning. He is a staff member of Food for the Hungry (USA) and was seconded to CRWRC Nigeria in 2001. Kyle is married to Ann and they have 2 children.
Email: abstract@yahoo.com

CRWRC Staff Newsletter from the Nigeria

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