By Olimatou Coker
The National Council for Civic Education [NCCE] has concluded a 2-day capacity-building training on lobbying and advocacy in Central River Region North.
The training was organised in collaboration with the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations [TANGO] under the EU/UNDP GREAT Project.
Held under the theme “Empowering Voices: Strategic Advocacy for Local Impact,” the workshop aimed to equip participants with practical skills to influence decision-making at community level.
Ansumana Ceesay, Programme Manager at NCCE, said communities already know their challenges well.
“At local level, people understand the problems affecting their livelihoods, access to services, participation in decision-making and development,” Ceesay said. “But identifying a problem is only the start. The real challenge is communicating those concerns effectively, engaging the right stakeholders, building alliances and using evidence to influence decisions.”
He stressed that advocacy is not just about raising voices or making demands.
“Effective advocacy is about understanding the issue, identifying decision-makers, crafting clear messages, building strategic relationships, using credible evidence and proposing practical solutions,” he said.
Ceesay said the training was designed to strengthen participants’ ability to conduct strategic, impactful and sustainable lobbying and advocacy.
“It will equip individuals and community-based organisations with practical tools, techniques and knowledge to influence policy decisions, mobilise stakeholders and articulate community needs clearly,” he added.
He urged participants to share experiences and learn from one another.
“You come from different backgrounds and institutions. Use this training to challenge ideas constructively and develop solutions that fit our local realities,” Ceesay said.
He added that the value of the training will be judged after participants return to their communities.
“The success of this training should not be measured only by what we learn over these two days. It should be measured by what we do with that knowledge,” he said.
Ceesay challenged each participant to leave with at least a practical advocacy issue, clear advocacy objective, potential allies identified, credible evidence gathered, and a realistic strategy to engage decision-makers.
The NCCE-TANGO collaboration under the GREAT Project says the goal is to ensure community voices are heard, policies respond to local needs, and advocacy delivers tangible results.