22nd November, 2010
Over 2, 000 members of the Community Development Associations, CDAs, in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria are expected to grace this year’s Community Day celebration.
The grand finale of the event holds on 24 November, 2010 at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos. The best CDA will go home with a 24-seater bus while runners up would win other consolation prizes.
Pre-celebration events kicked off at the weekend with thanksgiving services at the Alausa Central Mosque and the Chapel of Christ the Light Church, Alausa.
The theme of this year’s celebration is: Achieving Credible Election through Effective Community Mobilisation.
Commissioner for Rural Development, Prince Lanre Balogun disclosed that an 11-member Assessment Committee drawn from various government ministries, agencies and Community Development Advisory Council, CDAC, was set up to assess and evaluate all the projects and activities embarked upon by the CDAs with a view to picking projects that deserve to win awards and grants-in-aid.
“At the end of the exercise, three CDAs were adjudged to be the best three in the state while 15 communities are to be considered for consolidated prizes and grants.  Over 2, 000 CDAs across the state are expected to grace the occasion. Market men and women, artisans and others are also expected.
“Commemorative Ankara uniforms are expected to be worn by members of CDAs and other participants that would grace the occasion. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the chairman of the occasion, while Governor Babatunde Fashola will personally hand over the 24-seater bus to the best CDA,†Balogun said.
According to him, CD is an event marked yearly to appreciate the efforts of the community-based organisations, mainly CDAs, in developing their various communities and contributing their quota to national development.
He stressed that CDAs had contributed to the enhancement of security, environmental sanitation, monitoring and maintenance of various infrastructure in their domains.
The commissioner added that it was in appreciation of their importance in the overall development of the state that CDAs are involved in planning and completion of projects before they are handed over to the communities.
