CEDAR’s mission is pursued through programmes that span a number of development sectors and cross cutting issues of our interest. Major sectors of interest include inter alia:
The program activities in the different sectors of interest are interrelated and crosscutting. They broadly include the following areas:
CEDAR facilitates local economic development and provides small business advisory and project management support and referral services. Through service agreements with investors, international development partners, politicians, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and governments, we facilitate partnerships for the development of business solutions.
Our work in this area involves the support of micro and small enterprises in business idea generation and incubation, business plan development, microfinance referrals, group development, mentoring, information sharing, market intelligence and research, technology adoption and skills development.
The Centre has a demonstration site where many of these activities can be learnt. The Centre also provides intermediation and brokerage services for organizing out-growers and off-takers in the agricultural sector and linking rural production systems to modern manufacturing.
We undertake policy and action research; base line studies; feasibility studies; needs assessment; monitoring and evaluation; and stakeholder/community mapping and linkage.
We provide field research advisory and support services and mobilise field personnel for domestic and international researchers. We are experts in community mobilization and NGO building and our strength lies in our distinct capacity and ability for networking with public, private and non-state actors. We also have updated database on development experts, investors, farmers’ groups, processors, service providers and development reports.
The Centre organizes training, mentoring, international internships, learning journeys, field trips and exchange programs. Our international internships serve to connect students, faculty, government agencies, and private organizations including business and professional groups with local communities. This is to create innovative cross cultural solutions to felt needs. The Centre was a Practicum Site for George Warren Brown Institute of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA and has linkage with other foreign institutions.
CEDAR also undertakes demand-driven customised training courses for organizational and personal skills of staff of international development partners, private organisations, civil society organisations and governments. Specific courses are also organised at different periods of the year to build and enhance the capacity of interested participants. These include inter alia training in areas such as:-
Community Mobilization
Policy Analysis and Advocacy
Gender Analysis in Development
Project Management including Results Based Monitoring and Evaluation
NGO Building and Non Profit Management
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies
Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation
Proposal Writing and Grants Management
Vocational and Skills Development
Networking and Alliance Building
Here we engage in networks, alliance building and partnerships towards issue-driven advocacy in collaboration with other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Networks. CEDAR was the Zonal Representative of Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE) in Nigeria apart from other networks.
