The National Coordinating Organisation for Farmer Associations in The Gambia (NACOFAG) has recently concluded a two-day training for its members on good governance and quality leadership within their organizations.
The training, which attracted over thirty delegates, was organised under the auspices of NACOFAG and held at AFET office in Brikama, West Coast Region.
Speaking at the training, Alieu Sowe, coordinator of NACOFAG, said that for good governance to exist in both theory and practice, citizens must be empowered to participate in meaningful ways in decision-making process.
Mr. Sowe, reiterating the importance attached to the training, said the organizational governance training was held to promote quality leadership within the farmers’ organization.
NACOFAG is a Network of farmers organizatios with different backgrounds and sectors in agriculture, he said, adding that it is very important that the leadership of the various sectors, which are part of the Network, be trained on organizational governance and to strengthening its members in a bid to help in the sustainability of the institution.
Mr. Sowe also stated that there are many institutions in the country that have problems in terms of governance, roles and responsibility as it all along lacking in various sectors, which has been hampering the proper coordination of sectors.
“As a result of that NACOFAG deemed its fitting at this point in time, after nine months of its national congress, to bring their elected members together, youth wing, and women wing in this type of forums to share their ideas and expertise in the proper coordination of their institutions,” he said.
According to Mr Sowe, at the level of NACOFAG they are given the responsibility to manage, coordinate and lobby for support to their members.
He said the purpose of the training was to enhance their members on the proper handling of their organizations and also to discuss the way forward in terms of quality of a leader, character of a leader as well as the expectations from those represented at their organizations.
“This training will help their members in the sustainability of their organization and to monitor, coordinate and govern their organizations in a proper manner,” Mr Sowe said.
He also used the occasion to thank the participants for actively participating in the two day-training.
For his part, the president of NACOFAG, Muhamed Fayinkeh, expressed total satisfaction over the way the training was conducted.
He said that to have proper and good coordination of projects, programme and organizations, there is the need for effective training.
He then challenged the participants to take the training seriously.