From Abba Dukawa, Abuja
The Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), a Nigerian non-profit organisation, has organised a two-day training workshop for Imams and Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in Kano.
Held at the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID), Bayero University, Kano, the training aimed to strengthen the capacity of religious leaders in understanding and applying M&E tools to improve the impact of programmes in their communities.
Speaking during the event, Malam Hassan of dRPC explained that Monitoring and Evaluation is essential for assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of programmes, as well as understanding how messages are received by target communities.
He noted that feedback from such engagements allows project implementers to refine their approaches and better align with the values and perspectives of religious and community leaders.
“Involving imams and opinion leaders in monitoring and evaluation fosters accountability and transparency. It also helps build trust with communities,” Hassan said.
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Amina Mustapha, addressed prevailing misconceptions around gender equality, particularly within religious contexts.
“There are many misconceptions about gender equality, largely because some people promoting it fail to recognise that no religion protects the rights and dignity of women like Islam,” Mustapha said.
She added that Islam historically transformed the status of women, noting that “before the advent of Islam, women were subjected to inhumane practices, including being buried alive. Islam came and granted them the right to life and dignity.”
In his remarks, a representative of dRPC, Jakadan Gusau, said the organisation has remained committed to engaging faith leaders through M&E training, especially in enhancing their roles in community development and advocacy.
