JDPC Engages Communities in Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development
Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) Nnewi has commenced a series of regional consultations with community stakeholders as part of efforts to develop a participatory five-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening its development and humanitarian work across the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi.
The consultations organised under the “Charting A Pathway for a Sustainable Society (CAPs) is supported by the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN).
The initiative seeks to gather grassroots perspectives on the organisation’s past interventions, assess institutional strengths and challenges, and chart a clear strategic direction for the next five years.
One of the regional consultation and capacity-building workshops took place at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Amichi, bringing together parish-based JDPC volunteers, community leaders, youth and women representatives, Ward Development Committee members and regional coordinators.
Director of Justice Development and Peace Caritas Nnewi, Rev. Fr. Ben Chima Okolo, in his welcome address, described the consultation as an important step toward strengthening community engagement and institutional capacity within the diocese.
He commended participants for their commitment to community development and said the meeting would help build stronger partnerships capable of advancing justice, accountability and sustainable development.
“The CAPs Project provides us with an opportunity to reflect together, learn from our experiences and strengthen the capacities of our communities and institutions to respond effectively to emerging challenges”.
JDPC Nnewi was established on November 28, 2002, as the social development arm of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi.
The organisation operates through four regional coordinating offices located in Nnewi, Ozubulu, Amichi and Ihiala, which oversee parish-level activities and development initiatives within the diocese.
Over the years, JDPC Nnewi has implemented programmes targeting vulnerable populations and strengthening community systems across key sectors such as education, healthcare, governance, human rights and economic empowerment.
Beneficiaries of its interventions include students supported through scholarship schemes, women and widows engaged in livelihood empowerment initiatives, youth and unemployed persons receiving vocational training and leadership development, as well as orphans and vulnerable children who benefit from welfare and household support programmes.
The organisation also works with Ward Development Committees and community structures to improve primary healthcare services, promote governance accountability and encourage civic participation among citizens.
Speaking at the consultation, JDPC Nnewi Programmes Manager, Onyekachi Ololo, said the CAPs Project forms part of CCFN’s Small Grants Programme aimed at strengthening Justice, Development and Peace Commissions across Nigeria.
According to him, JDPC Nnewi was selected to implement the project within the Onitsha Province in recognition of its role in advancing development and humanitarian initiatives.
Ololo explained that the consultations were designed to enable stakeholders to evaluate JDPC’s achievements and challenges through a participatory Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis.
He noted that the engagement would also help identify priority thematic areas and strategies that will guide the organisation’s work over the next five years. “The consultation process provides a platform for stakeholders to reflect on the realities within their communities, identify existing gaps and contribute ideas that will improve programme delivery and impact,” he said.
Development expert Dr. Onyekachukwu Ebenebe facilitated the strategic planning discussions, guiding participants through the assessment process and drawing on relevant development indicators to support the formulation of a sustainable strategic framework.
During the deliberations, participants highlighted several institutional challenges affecting the organisation, including the absence of a long-term strategic framework, limited visibility of its programmes in some communities and weak coordination between diocesan and regional structures.
They also noted that these challenges sometimes make it difficult to attract sustained donor support for long-term development projects.
Despite the concerns, stakeholders identified several opportunities JDPC Nnewi could leverage, including its extensive parish network, a large pool of committed volunteers and the strong trust it enjoys among communities.
Participants also acknowledged the increasing relevance of JDPC’s programmes in areas such as health, governance advocacy, youth empowerment and human rights promotion.
At the end of the regional consultations, JDPC Nnewi plans to organise a diocesan validation workshop where inputs from the four regions will be harmonised and reviewed before the final strategic document is adopted.
Officials say the resulting five-year strategic plan will help strengthen the organisation’s governance systems, improve programme coordination and position JDPC Nnewi as a stronger partner for development collaborations within Anambra State and beyond.
