LASG launches N5million grants competitions for NGOs
By Moses Adeniyi
Lagos State Government (LASG) on Tuesday launched the awaited Lagos SDGs Impact Grant Challenge Initiative to offer grants to CSOs and NGOs to implement critical projects bearing key relevance to the actualisation of the SDGs in the State.
The grant challenge is seeking projects that offer smarter, faster ways to make real progress on the 17 Goals of the SDGs.
It will award the sum of N5 million each to three winning ideas that targets each of the SDGs. In total, the grant seeks to fund 51 projects addressing SDG targets (3 projects per SDG) across Lagos state.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investments, Mrs. Solape Hammond, said the competition will enable the State Government to create a broader-based collaboration with the CSOs, NGOs and social entrepreneurs who are already implementing solutions to achieve the SDGs.
Applicants who must have successfully pass eligibility screenings will be required to submit one project idea that addresses one of the 17 Global SDGs. The project must reflect a specific KPI, and an estimate of total people that will be impacted by the project.
According to her, the vision was conceptualised from the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration’s insight to align its policy thrust, the THEMES AGENDA, alongside the SDGs framework for measurable impacts in development process.
“What we are trying to do with this project, the SDGs Impact Challenge, is to take that further, to bring together all the Impact Makers whether they are CSOs, NGOs, Social Impact Ventures, all those who are working and creating change around Lagos, to mainstream the SDGs.
“We are going to pick three projects across each of the 17 SDGs and work with them to implement these projects over a period of three months, bringing volunteers together to deliver on these projects,” she said.
She mentioned that the challenges gathered from stakeholders informed the launching of the Lagos NGO Directory as a database platform for NGOs to connect with the government on its programmes and activities as well as “understand what the opportunities were in the Government.”
“Really, all we are saying is this government cares for Impacts Makers and we know that we need that partnership to be able to deliver on the THEMES AGENDA and on the SDGs,” she said.
The Special Adviser charged Lagosians and Impact Makers to come closer to the Government, stating the Office works in “a framework telling the story of what you are already doing.”
Founder, Mind the Gap Foundation, Tayo Olosunde, said understanding the roles of SDGs is a vitalising roadmap to doing excellently in impact courses to sustainable development with strong structure for businesses and sound initiatives
The Permanent Secretary, Office of SDGs and Investments, Mrs. Abosede George, speaking on the development, said it would be difficult for the Office alone to achieve the mandate of the SDGs to meet the agenda 2030, hence informing the need to partner NGOs.
On the credibility and fairness of the applicants’ selection process, she said “the process is going to be very objective and transparent. We are going to do it the way it should be done. If we say criteria, then we have to go that route. We would encourage people to participate, and once you meet the criteria, you would be given, you don’t need to know anyone.”
