CAPPA – Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa

The CAPPA 2023 Annual Report is Now Available 

Share:

Read it below with a foreword from our Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi

Dear Friends,

What a remarkable, dizzying year 2023 was for us!  While punctuated by challenges, our journey was ultimately defined by incredibly proud moments, huge milestones and impacts across the different campaigns we champion. As an organisation, we experienced growth in size and reach, together with various individual accomplishments.

In the past year, our commitment to environmental justice and accountability took tangible form as we stood shoulder‑to-shoulder with frontline communities across Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, The Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Through our documentary spotlight on Africa’s environmental challenges—captured in “Climate Change꞉ Africa’s Cooked and Sinking Communities”—we illuminated the dire impacts of climate change in Africa, exacerbated by the reckless activities of transnational corporations and extractive industries. Our efforts did not stop at documentation; we escalated our findings to national and global platforms, ensuring that the voices of those impacted were heard in decision‑making arenas.

Equally significant was our advocacy in public health, marked by the gazetting of Nigeria’s “Fats and Oils Regulations 2022” and “Fats and Oils Prepackaged Food Labeling Regulations 2022.” This major achievement in the fight against trans‑fat consumption represents a vital step forward in our campaign to safeguard public health. Building on this success, we have revved up pressure on our campaign for a sustainable tax regime for sugar-sweetened beverages and taken up yet another task in confronting the issue of excessive salt consumption. We are quite optimistic that more victory lies ahead in securing robust policy frameworks that will enhance Nigeria’s food environment.

On the education front, our advocacy on promoting access to public education led us to organise a critical stakeholder forum and conduct an in‑depth analysis of a new student loan policy aimed at expanding access to tertiary education in the country. Our loud opposition to the restrictive provisions of the scheme prompted the government to respond and commit to rescinding contentious aspects of the loan initiative.

As for our achievements on the water justice front, we killed the controversial National Water Resources Bill. In a resounding victory for peoples’ power, Nigerian legislators, in June 2023, laid to rest the contentious Bill, which had been debated since its introduction in 2020. After three years of heated debates and strong opposition from civil society, the Bill, replete with anti‑people provisions that threatened to commodify and further restrict access to water for citizens, was thrashed. United with an army of local communities and campaigners, we made this possible. We mounted a formidable opposition, leaving lawmakers with no option but to discard the Bill.

Throughout the past year, we produced knowledge materials and statements that broadened public discourse and provided strong insights into fundamental conversations regarding the environment, climate change, and public health, among other issues. In the pages that follow, you will see more of our work and outreach distilled into four thematic areas꞉ Public Health, Climate and Environment, Democracy Outreach, and Public Services.

However, the narrative of our journey is a shared one, co‑authored by a strong network of communities, partners, interns, volunteers, staff, media allies, friends, policymakers, and donors, all of whom have been and continue to be integral to our achievements and resilience. The task is formidable, yet we are fortunate and thankful to run on the fuel of an inspirational network of people who tirelessly support and cheer us every step of the way.

We say thank you!

READ OUR ANNUAL REPORT  

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Reports

Title
.