Ebonyi State Union UK Think Tank

Bridging the gap between knowledge and policy

By Chima Olugh

Why have an ETTTo help address some of the challenges the State faces by promoting effective government & governance through ideas, support and advice

Work with the state government, political parties and senior civil servants, providing fresh thinking through research, events and leadership development.

ETT areas of Focus1. Healthcare - strengthening systems and

driving prevention and treatment of conditions

2. Agricultural sector – drive development

3. Private sector – business engagement and development

4. Education sector – innovative ways to improve education outcomes

HealthcareThousands of people in the state cannot obtain the health services they need, because those services are inaccessible, unavailable, unaffordable or of poor quality.

ETT wants to work with the government, existing stakeholders and Ebonyi people to change this.

Agricultural sector Opportunities for growth exist in the agricultural sector, the on-going revolution and stimulation of the agricultural sector will encourage micro, small and medium industries and also big industries to create jobs and improve on agriculture in the state.

Private sector Coordinating the engagement of the private sector and engaging them at the planning stage, not implementation to ensure commercial benefits, social impact and return on social investment

Businesses need to ensure that they fully incorporate sustainability goals into their core business operations and not just their corporate social responsibility departments.

Education sector ETT is aware that the governor is committed to improve the state education system so that it is on par with other developed countries.

We want to support the government to task the Ministry of Education and raise the education bar including improving quality and standards.

ETT • ETT can offer general assistance, followed

by assistance in the four specific areas listed above

• Set up task and finish groups to support core areas of work

• Offer a menu of options to supplement existing ways of working

ETT • Through advocacy and policy research, promote

transparency and accountability in all work areas

• Augment development & strive for excellence

• Go the extra mile to ensure success, longevity

and learning

• Set and operate professional standards

Setting up ETT

• Board members

• Researchers, particularly a pool of possible research associates

• Funders - ideally domestic (don’t rely too much on foreign funders) and committed to the values of ETT

• A Legal framework & governance arrangements (NGO, Private Company etc.)

Good practice ideas• Given the high penetration rates in Nigeria,

mobile phones offer a cost-effective way to deliver agricultural advice to farmers, especially those working in more remote areas

• Increase access to insurance and financial services. Farmers need access to appropriate financial services to reduce their risk exposure and invest in their farms.

• Leverage mobile technology and geospatial data to mitigate pest and disease risk. Combining mobile technology and farm-level satellite data offers an unprecedented opportunity to tackle pest and disease outbreaks before they destroy farms and local economies.

Good practice ideas

And Finally• Test, measure, improve, instead of

banking on only one idea, we will test several methods in parallel and see what works best

• In an ever-changing world, there will be no shortage of complex challenges and the need to constantly learn and adopt.

Questions