Areas of Activities and Approach

CPED is committed to promoting a holistic approach to poverty reduction and grassroots development. Our key areas of action and focus of attention are as follows:

ACTION RESEARCH
1. Undertaking action research and baseline surveys on components of development and environmental conditions.
PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
1. Involvement in national, state, local and community planning. CPED has been involved in the current planning strategy to meet the stipulations of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which are NEEDA, SEEDS, LEEDS and CEEDS. CPED in partnership with the UNDP has developed the methodology for the participatory formulation of LEEDS in Nigeria.
IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS
1. CPED reduces the pressure on natural resources by promoting sound nature-based economic enterprises that are community-driven and congruent with sustainable use of natural resources and wild life conservation. Access to markets return on investment, and diversification of income stream are central to planning and creating synergies between economic efficiency, equity and sustainability.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND ADDRESSING GENDER INEQUALITIES
1. Women are key to poverty reduction in all communities because they make significant contributions to livelihood and household income. Yet women in most societies do not take part in key decisions affecting their livelihood. CPED is working with women groups and other stakeholders at the community level to promote the active involvement of women in poverty reduction programmes and activities.
ADVOCACY AND CIVIC EDUCATION
1. Working to improve the policy environment for poverty reduction with federal, state and local government as well as the private sector and civil society organizations. At the same time the grassroots populations are mobilized to take part in programmes designed to reduce poverty.
PARTNER SUPPORT AND CAPACITY BUILDING
1. Building the capacity of local organizations and local government officials to expand poverty reduction projects and to take ownership of project that are responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING
1. Women’s opportunities to choose when and how often to bear children and to reduce the dangers of death and severe illness they face during pregnancy. Ensuring safe-motherhood through adequate pre and post-natal information; reaching young people with information and services that focus on delaying childbearing, increasing the use of contraceptives, and preventing sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS
1. Integrating HIV/AIDS awareness, counseling and testing into reproductive health and family planning programmes. Expanding testing for HIV, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and community home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
ESSENTIAL AND PRIMARY HEALTHCARE FOR MAJOR DISEASES
1. Promotion of physical social and financial accessibility to primary healthcare for common and preventable diseases such as malaria and TB.
COMMUNITY-BASED WORK
1. Engaging communities and other stakeholders at the grassroots level to foster cultural acceptance of programmes designed to reduce poverty such as education, family planning, participation, democracy and human rights.
GOOD GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
1. After many years of military rule in Nigeria the democratic culture is yet to take firm root in the country. CPED works with other organizations at the loca level to promote participation in democratic activities including participating in elections. Peer education on good governance, human rights and democracy is promoted by CPED.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
1. The livelihood of the vast proportion of the people in Nigeria depends on environmental resources. CPED activities focus on the sustainable utilization of these resources through the promotion of the participation of the grassroots population that depends on these resources in their management.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
1. Development activities and the exploitation of resources, especially in the rural communities have considerable environmental and social impact on the livelihood of the poor living in such areas. CPED has been involved in the environmental and social impact assessment of development and exploitative activities, especially in the Niger Delta region.
EDUCATION AND YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
1. CPED is involved in promotion of equity in education in terms of accessibility and gender considerations as well as the development of skills for youth. Adult education and adult literacy programmes have also received the attention of CPED.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACE BUILDING
1. Conflict and violence has been a constraint to poverty reduction and other development activities in many parts of Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region. CPED leads efforts to create a demand for peace, enhance stability, and manage conflict. Our approach is threefold: to increase the ability of local communities to plan and manage activities that build peace; to increase the ability of local organizations to assist communities in implementing peace-building plans, and to increase the ability of civil society and faith-based networks in building, consolidating and safeguarding peace. CPED’s approach encourages reconciliation and healing as soon as possible, even before large-scale conflicts are fully resolved, and favours traditional conflict resolution methods over imported ones.
  CPED is working with community-based groups and institutions as well as other stakeholders to promote peace and reduce violent conflict in the Niger Delta region.
BUDGET MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
1. One of the major factors contributing to the persistence of poverty in Nigeria is corruption and the misappropriation of public funds. CPED is training NGOs and community-based groups to be able to monitor public expenditure in terms of the implementation of programmes budgeted for their communities.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
1. CPED has been involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of poverty reduction programmes and projects executed by federal, state and local governments as well as those of non-state actors such as the private sector and non-governmental organizations.