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20/08/2026

Beyond the Building: What Makes a Primary Health Centre Truly Functional?

A Primary Health Centre (PHC) is often the first place people turn to for healthcare in their communities. However, having a building alone does not mean healthcare is available. A truly functional PHC needs qualified and motivated health workers, essential medicines, working equipment, clean water, electricity, and a safe environment.

Quality and accessible services are equally important. A functional PHC should provide essential services such as maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, health education, disease prevention, and basic emergency care. It should also have a reliable referral system for patients who need higher-level treatment.

Communities also have a role to play. Citizens should be able to ask whether their local PHC has the staff, medicines, equipment, and resources needed to serve them. Government, health workers, communities, and civil society must work together to improve funding, monitoring, accountability, and service delivery. A functional PHC is more than a building, it is a lifeline for the community.

17/08/2026

Youth participation in elections is essential to building a stronger and more representative democracy. Young people make up a significant part of the population, and their votes can influence the leaders, policies, and decisions that shape their future. Participating in elections gives young people an opportunity to make their voices heard and contribute to the direction of their communities and country.

However, barriers such as political apathy, lack of information, voter registration challenges, and distrust in the electoral process can discourage young people from participating. This is why young voters need access to reliable information, understanding of candidates and issues, and encouragement to participate peacefully and responsibly.

Youth participation goes beyond simply casting a ballot. Young people can register to vote, educate themselves and others, engage in civic discussions, advocate for issues that matter to them, encourage others to participate, and reject misinformation, violence, and vote-buying. Your voice matters, your vote matters, and your participation can help shape the future you want.

17/08/2026

New week, new opportunities to create value.

Share an idea. Solve a problem. Help someone move forward.

Make your contribution count.

16/08/2026

SERDEC hosted members of the Kogi State Resource Justice Network (RJN) for a discussion on the activities of extractive companies and the pursuit of resource justice for communities across Kogi State.

The meeting provided an opportunity to examine how mineral resources are being explored and exploited in the state, the impact of extractive activities on host communities, and the need to ensure that communities benefit meaningfully from the resources within their environment.

Kogi State is endowed with significant mineral resources, including iron ore, limestone, coal, marble, tantalite, feldspar and other solid minerals. While these resources present enormous opportunities for economic development and job creation, their exploitation must be guided by principles of transparency, accountability, environmental responsibility and fairness.

Discussions also focused on accountability and transparency in resource governance, particularly the need for communities to have access to relevant information, participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their resources, and receive appropriate benefits from extractive activities.

Resource justice is not only about the extraction of minerals; it is about ensuring that the people and communities who live with the consequences of extraction are recognised, heard and protected.

Through engagements such as this, SERDEC continues to create spaces for dialogue, community participation and collective action towards a more transparent and equitable resource governance system in Kogi State.

12/08/2026

🌍 International Youth Day 2026

Young people may grow up in different contexts, face different challenges and navigate different realities, but across these differences are common aspirations: the opportunity to learn, to work, to participate, to be heard and to build a better future.

This year’s theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” reminds us that young people should not be seen merely as beneficiaries of development. They are citizens, innovators and partners whose voices and ideas must have a meaningful place in shaping the decisions, policies and institutions that affect their lives.

On this International Youth Day, SERDEC calls for greater investment in young people and stronger platforms for their participation in governance, civic engagement and sustainable development. Building a better future requires not only investing in youth, but also creating the space for them to help shape it.

Happy International Youth Day 2026!

12/08/2026

Who Is Watching the Watchdog?

Oversight institutions play an important role in protecting public interest, monitoring the use of public resources, and promoting accountability. But an important question remains: who holds the watchdogs accountable?

When institutions responsible for oversight lack transparency, independence, or effective checks, the very systems designed to prevent abuse can become weak.

Accountability should therefore not stop with those being monitored. Oversight bodies must also be transparent in their decisions, responsible in the use of their powers, and open to legitimate public scrutiny.

Citizens also have a role to play. Asking questions, following public reports, demanding information, and speaking up about concerns are important parts of building a culture of accountability.

At SERDEC, we believe that good governance requires more than strong institutions, it requires institutions that are trusted, transparent, and accountable to the people they serve.

A watched watchdog is a stronger watchdog.

10/08/2026

Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life, Culture and Well-being

Every year on 9 August, the world marks the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, providing an opportunity to recognise the contributions, resilience and rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world.

The 2026 theme, “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Advancing rights, ensuring cultural continuity and promoting intergenerational well-being,” draws attention to the vital role Indigenous midwives play in protecting maternal and newborn health while preserving generations of Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices.

Indigenous midwives are more than healthcare providers. They are custodians of knowledge passed down through generations, often serving as trusted sources of care within their communities. Recognising their contributions means recognising the importance of Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity and the right of Indigenous communities to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives and well-being.

In Nigeria, this conversation is particularly relevant to the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), whose communities have faced decades of marginalisation, displacement and exclusion despite their deep historical and cultural connection to the land.

This is an area that aligns closely with the work of the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC). Through its work promoting the rights and economic inclusion of FCT Original Inhabitants, SERDEC has supported efforts to amplify Indigenous voices, strengthen community-led advocacy and draw attention to the social, economic and cultural rights of Abuja’s Original Inhabitants.

As we honour Indigenous midwives, we must therefore look beyond recognition and ask whether Indigenous communities have equitable access to healthcare, whether their traditional knowledge is respected, and whether the women who preserve and provide this knowledge are supported and protected.

Safeguarding life and well-being requires inclusion. It requires respect for Indigenous knowledge, investment in Indigenous communities and policies that ensure no community is left behind.

For SERDEC, honouring Indigenous midwives is also a reminder that protecting Indigenous communities goes beyond recognition. It means ensuring that their knowledge, voices and lived experiences are respected in policies and programmes that affect their lives. As we celebrate this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, greater attention must be given to the rights, health and well-being of the FCT’s Original Inhabitants, while creating space for Indigenous knowledge and community-led solutions to thrive.

10/08/2026

A new week is another opportunity to learn, grow, and become better at what we do.

Stay curious, remain open to new ideas, and keep seeking ways to make a meaningful contribution.

Wishing everyone a productive and growth-filled week ahead.

07/08/2026

PRESS STATEMENT

SERDEC Condemns Politically Sensitive Freezing of Osun State Government Accounts, Warns Against Undermining Institutional Independence

The Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC) expresses deep concern over the decision by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze the accounts of the Osun State Government at a time dangerously close to the state's election. While we recognize the responsibility of anti-corruption agencies to investigate financial misconduct and ensure accountability in public institutions, such actions must always be guided by transparency, due process, and sensitivity to democratic processes.

Taking such a significant step against a state government shortly before an election creates legitimate concerns about possible political implications and the timing of enforcement actions by state institutions. Anti-corruption efforts must not only be lawful but must also be seen to be impartial and free from any appearance of political interference.

SERDEC is equally concerned by the reported intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, directing the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts. While the intention behind such intervention may be explained by the need to prevent disruption of governance, it raises serious questions about the operational independence of an agency established to investigate and tackle corruption without political influence.

A strong democracy requires that accountability institutions are allowed to perform their duties independently, while political leaders respect the boundaries between executive authority and the operations of investigative agencies.

SERDEC calls on the Federal Government and relevant institutions to ensure that anti-corruption agencies operate transparently, independently, and strictly within the provisions of the law. The fight against corruption cannot succeed when institutions are perceived as acting based on political calculations or when their decisions appear subject to executive influence.

Nigerians deserve institutions that command public confidence, protect democratic processes, and uphold the principles of justice and accountability without fear or favor.

Signed:
Abdulkareem Tijani
Executive Director
Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)

06/08/2026

🌍 World Breastfeeding Week 2026 | 1–7 August

Everyone Has a Role to Play. 🤱🏽

Supporting breastfeeding is a shared responsibility. Mothers thrive when they are surrounded by encouragement from fathers, grandparents, health workers, employers, communities, and policymakers.

Together, we can create an environment where every mother feels supported to give her child the healthiest start in life.

This World Breastfeeding Week, let's work together to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding for healthier children, stronger families, and a brighter future for Nigeria.

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Abuja

Telephone

+2348182482222

Website

http://www.serdec.org/

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