The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the founder of Encouragement Initiative Academy, Dr Rotimiolu Akinlesi among other stakeholders and participants at the 3rd biennial conference of alumni of the academy held in Ijebu Ode.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the founder of Encouragement Initiative Academy, Dr Rotimiolu Akinlesi among other stakeholders and participants at the 3rd biennial conference of alumni of the academy held in Ijebu Ode.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, has urged non-governmental organisations and foundations to build long-term, trust-based relationships rather than operate through transactional partnerships.

Owotomo made the call on Saturday at the third biennial conference of the Encouragement Initiative Academy Alumni in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The conference, themed “From Transactional Request to Strategic Alliances,” brought together alumni of the Encouragement Initiative Academy, government officials and other stakeholders in the NGO sector.

Speaking with journalists at the event, where he was the keynote speaker, the commissioner said the major takeaway from the gathering was the need for foundations and NGOs to establish relationships capable of enduring across generations.

He said, “The takeaway from today’s gathering is that foundations, initiatives and NGOs should not be transactional. It should be trustworthy. It should be an initiative that can encompass generations.

“It should be based on trust and deep-rooted relationships, not transactional relationships. If an NGO is being supported for a particular cause or intervention, the resources given must not be diverted; they must be spent for the purposes for which such support or donations were given.”

Owotomo also emphasised the role of NGOs in national development, noting that the government alone could not address all the challenges confronting society.

According to him, NGOs work alongside the government at the local, state and federal levels to provide solutions and improve the wellbeing of citizens.

“Non-governmental organisations are working in tandem with the government in ensuring that society is a better place, knowing fully well that the government cannot do it alone at whatever strata. At the local government level, state government level and federal government level, they cannot by themselves bring about all the solutions that we need as a country. That’s why it’s good for us to support initiatives and non-governmental organisations in making their own impact and contributing their quota towards national development.”

Owotomo commended the founders of the Encouragement Initiative, Dr Rotimiolu Akinlesi and his wife, Dr Bukunola Akinlesi, for their efforts in developing human capital and supporting organisations working with vulnerable members of society.

He maintained that collaboration between such organisations and the government would help make the country a better place. Also speaking at the event, the founder of Encouragement Initiative, Dr Akinlesi, said the conference was designed to help NGO operators develop sustainable strategies for attracting support without becoming a burden to potential donors.

He explained that while NGOs needed support to reach vulnerable people, the organisations themselves must also earn the confidence of individuals and institutions capable of providing such assistance.

“The takeaway is that, first of all, the government cannot do it all. We have to keep supporting ourselves. We need people to support those who are supporting others. But while trying to get those who want to support you, don’t become a pain in their neck because they also have their own issues. So, we have gathered to look at how we can get people to support our charity work without necessarily being a pain in their neck, because, like I have said, we all have our challenges.”

Akinlesi stressed the importance of trust and visibility in building sustainable partnerships, saying organisations should allow the quality and genuineness of their work to attract potential supporters. He added, “Be a trustworthy person. Once you are trustworthy, even without you asking, people will still support you.”

He disclosed that the Encouragement Initiative Academy had trained about 10 sets of participants on how to establish, manage, fund and register NGOs, adding that the academy’s alumni network now comprises more than 500 NGOs and hundreds of volunteers operating across different parts of the country.

Akinlesi, however, identified insecurity as one of the major challenges confronting organisations working in remote communities. He said some volunteers were increasingly cautious about visiting rural communities because of security concerns and poor mobile network coverage.

“Security is one of the challenges. There are some villages we go to that now we are careful. There are some villages where there is no network, no mobile network,” he said.

Also speaking, the co-founder of Encouragement Initiative, Dr Bukunola Akinlesi, said the third biennial conference was aimed at bringing together alumni to re-strategise and strengthen collaboration towards improving the lives of vulnerable people.

She said the conference encouraged participants to move beyond simply giving money to people in need and instead focus on identifying ways to empower them. Akinlesi disclosed that Encouragement Initiative had been involved in charitable activities for more than two decades and had expanded its reach through the training of NGO operators.

According to her, about 500 NGOs established or strengthened through the academy are now impacting lives across Nigeria, with some alumni continuing their humanitarian activities outside the country.