JIGAWA SPIN PROJECT INAUGURATES 10-MEMBER GRIEVANCE REDRESS COMMITTEE, STRENGTHENS GBV PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SAFEGUARD MECHANISMSThe Jigawa State Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) Project has inaugurated a 10-member State level Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) as part of efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, community participation, and effective resolution of grievances arising from project activities.
The inauguration of the committee, which is expected to provide an accessible, fair, impartial, and transparent platform for addressing complaints from project-affected persons and host communities, marks another significant milestone in the implementation of the Jigawa SPIN Project.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Col. Muhammad Alhassan (Rtd.), represented by the Managing Director of the State Water Board, Engr. Zayyanu Rabi’u, said the establishment of the committee was an important step towards building public confidence and ensuring that concerns associated with project implementation receive timely and appropriate attention.
The Commissioner explained that the committee would serve as an effective channel through which individuals, community members, and other stakeholders could present their complaints, seek clarification, and obtain fair resolutions without unnecessary delays.
He emphasized the importance of fairness, impartiality, confidentiality, and accountability in handling grievances, noting that an effective grievance redress mechanism is essential to sustaining trust between project implementers and beneficiary communities.
He further urged members of the committee to discharge their responsibilities with dedication, integrity, and a strong sense of commitment, while ensuring that every complaint is treated with seriousness and respect.
In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Engr. Alhassan Abbas, reaffirmed the commitment of the Jigawa SPIN Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) to maintaining an open-door policy and ensuring that the voices and concerns of communities around the irrigation schemes are heard and addressed.
Engr. Abbas stated that the project is committed to providing accessible channels, including dedicated telephone hotlines and other grievance-reporting platforms, through which community members can report concerns and receive appropriate assistance.
He explained that the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) is designed to promote constructive engagement, prevent unnecessary disputes, and ensure that issues arising during project implementation are resolved through an established and transparent process.
According to him, the project recognizes that meaningful community participation, cooperation, and trust are essential to achieving its objectives, adding that the SPIU remains committed to listening to beneficiaries and providing practical solutions to legitimate concerns.
Earlier, the Social Safeguards Specialist of the project, Hajiya Aisha Aminu, explained that the inauguration of the Grievance Redress Committee was aimed at ensuring that complaints and disputes associated with project activities are addressed promptly and amicably.
She emphasized that the committee would provide an opportunity for complainants and other concerned parties to engage in peaceful dialogue, understand one another, and resolve differences in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.
She noted that the grievance redress process is intended to be simple, accessible, transparent, and community-friendly, ensuring that individuals are not discouraged from expressing their concerns.
Hajiya Aisha also cautioned members of the Warwade community against allowing rumours, misinformation, and uninformed opinions to undermine the objectives of the Jigawa SPIN Project.
She encouraged community members to seek clarification directly from project officials whenever they have questions or concerns, rather than relying on unverified information that could create unnecessary misunderstanding and affect project implementation.
She reiterated that the Jigawa SPIN Project remains committed to transparency, accountability, effective communication, and meaningful stakeholder engagement as essential principles for achieving sustainable project outcomes.
In a related development, the Jigawa SPIN Project has also convened a stakeholders’ engagement meeting to strengthen awareness, promote gender inclusion, and align Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response principles with the project’s goals, objectives, and implementation framework.
The meeting brought together relevant stakeholders to deliberate on measures for preventing GBV-related risks, promoting safe and inclusive participation, strengthening safeguarding arrangements, and ensuring that all project beneficiaries and host communities are protected throughout the implementation process.
Speaking at the meeting, the Gender Officer of the project, Hajiya Hadiza Sabo, explained that the engagement was organized to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of gender-related risks and strengthen collective responsibility for preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence.
She highlighted key areas of focus, including GBV risk identification and prevention, gender inclusion, safeguarding, stakeholder engagement, effective communication, and the strengthening of the Grievance Redress Mechanism.
Hajiya Hadiza stressed that gender considerations must remain an integral part of project implementation, noting that women, men, young people, and other vulnerable groups should have equal opportunities to participate in project activities and benefit from the interventions without discrimination, intimidation, exploitation, or abuse.
She further emphasized the importance of creating safe reporting channels and ensuring that complaints relating to GBV and other safeguarding concerns are handled with the highest level of confidentiality, sensitivity, dignity, and respect for survivors.
She called on stakeholders to support awareness creation and community sensitization efforts, while encouraging the adoption of preventive measures that promote the safety and well-being of everyone involved in or affected by the project.
Earlier, in his address, the State Project Coordinator, Engr. Alhassan Abbas, reaffirmed the commitment of the Jigawa State SPIU to ensuring a safe, inclusive, accountable, and gender-responsive project implementation environment.
He noted that the success of the SPIN Project goes beyond the physical delivery of infrastructure and irrigation facilities, stressing that protecting the rights, dignity, safety, and well-being of beneficiaries and host communities is equally important.
The Project Coordinator explained that the SPIU would continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders, community leaders, and implementing partners to strengthen safeguarding measures, promote gender equality, prevent all forms of abuse and exploitation, and ensure that project activities are carried out in accordance with established environmental and social standards.
He further emphasized that effective communication, community participation, and accessible grievance-reporting mechanisms are essential to preventing conflicts, addressing emerging concerns, and ensuring that project interventions deliver lasting benefits to the people.
The inauguration of the 10-member Grievance Redress Committee and the stakeholders’ engagement on Gender-Based Violence prevention and response demonstrate the Jigawa SPIN Project’s continued commitment to strengthening its environmental and social safeguards framework.
Through these initiatives, the project seeks to establish a responsive relationship with beneficiary communities, promote peaceful resolution of disputes, prevent gender-related risks, and ensure that all stakeholders have access to information and opportunities to participate meaningfully in project activities.
The Jigawa SPIN Project reiterates that community cooperation, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, and respect for human dignity remain central to its implementation approach.
The project therefore calls on community members, traditional institutions, stakeholders, and other relevant partners to support the established mechanisms, engage constructively with project officials, and work collectively towards the successful implementation of the SPIN Project for sustainable development and improved livelihoods in Jigawa State.
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