responsibilities, methods of management, means of functioning, use of resources (intellectual, material, economic etc.) between government agencies, non- governmental agencies, civil society, community organisation and the target beneficiaries of capacity intervention. It looks from inside out, focuses on organisational capacities and also encourages synergies among organisations (G. Morgan, 1989; Lusthaus et al., 1999; UNICEF, 1999).
33 2.4.3. Bolger (2000: 4-9) opines that at individual level, emphasis is on harnessing and strengthening the abilities, needs, performances, attitudes, skills, capabilities, and values of individual actors such as small scale farmers and unemployed persons, so they can contribute to development. Social transformation at this level is often considered as a part of a wider agenda that affects other empowerment/capacity development processes and might not yield much benefit if those processes are ignored in the intervention plan. (Wallerstein, 1992:198)
2.4.4. The ‘enabling environment’ approach embodies a comprehensive context within which development practices take place (Morgan: 1998). It has the ability to either enable or constrain intervention efforts and determines the outcome of development initiatives by influencing the direction and interaction of resources. For instance, Bolger (2000:3) cited a case in point when he argued that ‘poorly conceived policies, high levels of corruption, or lack of legitimacy can make for a highly ‘disabling’ environment with significant consequences for development initiatives.
On the other hand, sound policies, high levels of commitment, effective coordination, and a stable economic environment can be important contributors to an enabling environment which can greatly increase prospects for success”. Attempts to effect change at the enabling environment level generally take a considerable length of time given the nature of the issues being addressed - policies, structures, attitudes, values etc. While not all capacity development initiatives will seek to effect change in the enabling environment, they will need to be sensitive to factors at this level which may have an impact (positive or negative) on initiatives which are focused primarily on the organisational, institutional or individual level (CIDA:2000).
The implication of the above analysis for the Niger Delta as a study area in this research is that capacity development would have lost its essence and failed in its quest to meet the needs of the target beneficiaries if it is not operationalized to the extent that there is synergy, participation and consensus among all levels for sustainable empowerment. In order words, there is need for strong co-ordination between the different levels of capacity development, the various government agencies and other stake holders if capacity development intervention efforts in the Niger Delta region must yield results and impact positively on the people of the region.
34 Likewise, there is a need for clearly articulated objectives and strategy at different levels in the government intervention efforts. Naturally, there is a need for a vision, mission and overall development objectives for the Niger Delta in general, but these must be supported by objectives for each state and local government, especially for those communities located within the mangrove swamp creeks and those whose topography is difficult.
The development challenge of the Niger Delta region as portrayed by several data is that of ‘capacity deficit or inadequate capacity which has manifested in several ways thus:
Dependence on government/outside development interventions
Lack of consideration and respect for the culture, knowledge systems, and institutions of the Niger delta people by government development agencies.
lack of synergy/ Limited level of integration and participation of the Niger Deltans in mainstream decision- making which results in bad governance and a disconnect between the people and the agencies
It is thus necessary that the federal government and every agency involved in development interventions in the Niger Delta must strive not just to articulate objectives and strategies as in the case of the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, nor enhance human capital formation in isolation, without the accompanying job advocacy/creation. Rather, to ensure that they implement these objectives by building basic infrastructure such as rural clinics, improving community and individual participation in decision making processes for accountability and good governance. There is also need to create an enabling environment for well-articulated objectives to work, by checking corruption, lack of participation and other factors that have been a constraint to the success of development intervention in the Niger Delta
Given the fact that sustainable developmentcapacity building is something the Niger Delta people have agitated for since the 1950s(willinks Commission report, 1958), therefore, development interventions targeted at the region must integrate individuals, communities, organisations and institutions within the Niger Delta to ensure all stakeholders participate and have a sense of ownership towards development initiatives for improved capabilities.
35 Although the federal government of Nigeria has made significant efforts in relations to reforming capacity development oriented policies as evident by the creation of the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Amnesty Commission,however, most of the intervention platforms seem to lack direction and clearly articulated strategies. The Amnesty commission for instance seems to lack an effective dialogue mechanism, community participation, stakeholders’ partnerships, coordination units and capacity profiling / capacity needs assessments units (UNHDR, 2006)
The amnesty promised disarmament, rehabilitation, reintegration and development of infrastructures, while the Niger Delta Development Commission and Ministry of the Niger Delta affairs were charged with the responsibility of developing the Niger Delta. The militants have been disarmed; rehabilitation and reintegration are still in progress. Whereas, most of the agencies managing development interventions still lack strategic framework and People are still lacking basic social infrastructures that are needed to lead meaningful and fulfilled lives. Disarming the militants and building their capacity through vocational training and skills acquisition has already created a peaceful environment that would allow the core issue to be dealt with.
However, if there is no significant improvement in the development of infrastructures, societies and institutions, as promised by the government through their agencies, the peace in the Niger Delta might be short lived since the underlying reasons for the conflict has not been tackled. The Nigerian government cannot expect people to get fully reintegrated into the society without meeting their basic needs and reducing poverty, especially for the ex-militants, because they might pick up arms again if those deplorable conditions are not being improved.
The Niger Delta region needs a strategic agenda that is aimed at achieving definite objectives; infrastructural development. Beyond that, the key actors must be in synergy and well- coordinated. There must be a network with specific financial budgetary allocation for the implementation of their strategic objective as well as how such funds will be disbursed, with the participation of all stakeholders. To effectively examine how capacity development has been operationalized in the Niger Delta through the provision of basic infrastructures such as rural clinics, this research used the Niger Delta Regional master plan, MNDA budget , and amnesty document as a point of departure for its analysis by exploring the significance of the re-
36 directed/budgeted expenditure to the development of infrastructures, using rural clinics as a dimension of the development of basic infrastructure, accessibility as an indicator and persons per clinic, person per nurse, person per doctor and travel distance to base clinic in minutes, as measurable variables of the indicator.