WOSCONET formalised its relationship with the Enugu State Government in August 2024 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Development. The MOU, signed at a ceremony at the Ministry's headquarters attended by senior ministry officials, WOSCONET's executive leadership, and representatives of partner civil society organisations, establishes a framework for structured collaboration across five priority areas: women's economic empowerment, child protection and welfare, gender-based violence prevention and response, women's political participation, and community WASH access. It marks the first formal government partnership in WOSCONET's history and is widely seen as a recognition of the organisation's track record and credibility as a development actor in Enugu State.
Negotiations toward the MOU began in early 2024, following a series of joint activities through which WOSCONET and the Ministry had built a working relationship — including the organisation's participation in the Ministry's International Women's Day programme, its contribution to a state-level review of the Enugu Child Rights Law implementation, and its referral of gender-based violence cases to the Ministry's social welfare unit through its community outreach programme. The formal MOU process was initiated by mutual agreement after both parties concluded that a structured framework would enable more effective coordination, eliminate duplication of effort, and allow WOSCONET to access state-level data, facilities, and outreach channels that would amplify the reach of its programmes.
"This partnership is a commitment — not just on paper, but in action — to advancing the rights and welfare of every woman and child in Enugu State."
The MOU's key provisions include the establishment of a joint programme committee meeting quarterly to align activities and share data; WOSCONET's designation as a preferred civil society implementation partner for specific Ministry programmes in communities where the organisation has an active presence; the Ministry's commitment to provide WOSCONET with relevant state-level policy documents, data, and early notice of planned programmes to enable effective civil society input; and a joint monitoring framework that will allow both parties to track progress on shared indicators. The MOU also includes a provision for WOSCONET to second a programme officer to the Ministry on a six-month rotational basis, building institutional knowledge on both sides and ensuring that community-level insights continuously inform state policy design.
Ambassador Amaka Nweke, speaking at the signing ceremony, emphasised that the MOU is not a subordination of WOSCONET's civil society independence to government priorities, but a strategic collaboration in which both parties retain their distinct roles and mandates. WOSCONET will continue to engage in independent advocacy, including on issues where civil society and government perspectives diverge, and will maintain its accountability to the communities it serves rather than to the Ministry alone. The organisation views the MOU as a tool for accessing government infrastructure and reach, not as a constraint on its freedom to speak truth to power when the situation demands it.
In the months since the MOU's signing, WOSCONET and the Ministry have co-facilitated a joint sensitisation programme on the Enugu State Gender-Based Violence Management Policy, reaching over 600 community leaders, health workers, and law enforcement officers across six LGAs. The two organisations are also jointly developing a state-wide mapping of GBV service providers and referral pathways, to be published as a publicly accessible resource for survivors, community workers, and health providers. This collaboration, grounded in mutual respect and clear accountability structures, is emerging as a model for civil society-government partnership in the broader Nigerian context.