IFE LGs Set to Commence Certified Citizen Reporter Training as GNA CAA Governance Model Enters Implementation Phase

The implementation of the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA) Community Accountability and Advocacy (CAA) Governance Model is set to enter a new phase with the commencement of the GNA Certified Citizen Reporter (CCR) Training Programme for participants across the Ife Local Government areas.

The live online training will hold over two weekends, September 11–13 and September 18–20, 2026, with two hours of intensive training each evening.

As the pilot Local Government areas for the implementation and eventual expansion of the GNA CAA Governance Model, Ile-Ife represents an important transition from institutional preparation to practical citizen participation in governance.

CCRs: A FOUNDATION OF THE GOVERNANCE MODEL

Trained and certified Citizen Reporters are a fundamental requirement for onboarding a Local Government onto the GNA CAA Governance Platform.

The programme is designed around the principle that meaningful accountability must be based on credible information, responsible documentation and verifiable evidence rather than rumours, political sentiments or unverified social-media reports.

CCRs will therefore be trained to accurately and professionally document the condition and status of public and community infrastructure within their Local Government areas.

Reports submitted through the GNA CAA Governance App will pass through defined review, verification and approval processes before qualifying as verified public records. This is intended to protect the integrity of information available to citizens, government officials and other stakeholders while ensuring that documented community conditions can support responsible decision-making.

FROM IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS TO FACILITATING SOLUTIONS

The CAA Governance Model goes beyond identifying failed infrastructure or criticising government. By systematically documenting community needs, it helps relevant Responsible Parties (RPs) understand where intervention is required.

Responsible Parties may include statutory actors such as Local, State and Federal Government officials, elected representatives and public institutions, as well as non-statutory actors including diaspora organisations, community associations, development partners, philanthropists, businesses and other organisations capable of contributing to community development.

A documented community challenge can therefore become actionable information. Instead of interventions being determined solely by assumptions, political considerations or incomplete information, stakeholders can identify genuine needs and direct resources toward projects capable of producing measurable impact.

RECOGNISING THOSE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

A distinctive feature of the GNA CAA Governance Model is that accountability is not designed only to expose deficiencies. It is equally intended to recognise performance and encourage positive intervention.

When an individual, government institution, elected representative, community organisation, diaspora body or other Responsible Party takes meaningful and verifiable action that moves an infrastructure or community condition from its existing Point A toward the desired Point B, that contribution can be documented and appropriately credited.

Verified interventions contribute to the Responsible Party’s Record of Performance (RoP), creating an evidence-based record through which measurable contributions can be tracked at community, Local Government, State and national levels.

TECHNOLOGY MEETS CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

At the centre of the initiative is the GNA CAA Governance App, developed by CPI Technologies and adopted by the Great Nigerian Assembly as the technology platform supporting the governance model.

The application combines citizen participation, structured infrastructure documentation, verification, community engagement and performance tracking within a single governance ecosystem.

The GNA CAA Governance Model, developed by GN (Dr.) Kayode Elusoji, Executive Director of the Great Nigerian Assembly, is designed to enable ordinary citizens to participate responsibly in governance without replacing government or becoming partisan political actors.

The model seeks to connect credible community-level information with Responsible Parties while ensuring that interventions can be documented, verified and measured through an evidence-based Record of Performance.

BUILDING SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

The CCR Programme will also provide participants with practical exposure to citizen reporting, governance and accountability, community documentation, digital journalism, ethical reporting, infrastructure assessment, evidence gathering, digital technology and responsible information management.

Successful participants who complete the programme and become certified CCRs will have opportunities to progress into specialised training as Data Analysts and Digital Content Managers, incorporating practical Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills.

The pathway is intended to help participants develop competencies relevant not only to community service but also to emerging opportunities in technology, digital media, remote work, digital entrepreneurship and the global information economy.

For young people, the programme presents an opportunity to turn the smartphone from a primarily social-media device into a tool for documenting communities, developing professional skills, analysing information and creating useful digital content.

EXPANSION TO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM OCTOBER

Following the pilot implementation in the Ife Local Government areas, the Great Nigerian Assembly plans to extend the CCR Training Programme to other Local Governments beginning in October 2026.

The availability of adequately trained and certified CCRs will remain one of the essential requirements for communities seeking to onboard onto the GNA CAA Governance Platform, alongside other organisational and governance structures established under the model.

The long-term objective is to progressively establish a network of trained citizens capable of responsibly documenting community conditions while creating a comprehensive evidence base for development planning, accountability and recognition of measurable performance.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Registration is currently open to young people, students, graduates, professionals and community-minded Nigerians interested in participating in the Certified Citizen Reporter Programme.

Live Online CCR Training: September 11–13 & September 18–20, 2026

Duration: Two hours each evening

Registration: gnacaa.org/ccr-program

WhatsApp: +1-773-715-3644

Email: gnacaa@greatnigerian.org

The commencement of the CCR programme in Ile-Ife therefore represents more than another training exercise. It marks an important step in testing a new approach to governance in which citizens provide credible evidence, technology organises that evidence, Responsible Parties are connected with genuine community needs, and measurable interventions become part of a verifiable Record of Performance.

As the pilot implementation progresses, Ile-Ife will provide an important demonstration of how technology, organised citizen participation and evidence-based accountability can work together to strengthen governance and accelerate community development.

GNA CERTIFIED CITIZEN REPORTER (CCR)

Building Responsible Citizens. Developing Digital Skills. Creating Global Opportunities.

GNA CAA GOVERNANCE MODEL

From Observation to Evidence. From Evidence to Action. From Action to Measurable Impact.