My name is Ime Ebiware and I work with RTI (Research Triangle Institute) as a Local Government Coordinator for Okrika LGA under the LEAD RTI project. The LEAD project is a governance project aimed at improving governance and service delivery at the local level. I have worked as a development practitioner for the past 13 years, with a focus on the Niger Delta region.

I have spent the majority of my career with Pro-Natura International (PNI), an organization focused on the social, economic and environmental problems that face rural communities in the developing world. At PNI, I rose from the position of a member of a Participatory Rural Appraisal/ Participatory Learning Action team to the position of a senior programs adviser/trainer.

My experience in the development sector is largely attributed to the wealth of experience I got working with PNI. Working with PNI elevated me through various cadres in the organization, each with its specific roles and responsibilities. While at PNI, I worked in Akwa Ibom state as a member of the Participatory Rural Appraisal/ Participatory Learning Action. Thereafter, I moved to the position of Women in Development Adviser. I rose through the ranks in the organization to become a senior programs adviser/trainer for Development Foundations (Eastern Obolo Development Foundation in Akwa Ibom state, and Opobpo Nkoro Development Foundation in Rivers state) on a project funded by TOTAL (TEPNG). I was made the Project Supervisor under the business development unit of PNI for Project Novella’s “Allanblackia Project”, a GTZ/Unilever funded project for Delta state, then promoted to the position of a senior trainer where I developed modules and facilitated several trainings across the Niger Delta, as well as in Ogun and Lagos states.

Why did you join NDLink and how has it helped your work?

I joined the NDLink platform in May 2014 because I needed an avenue where I could easily have access to development information across the Niger Delta region. So far, NDLink has been a good tool for me to get many of the information I need as a development stakeholder in the region. A particular example was when my team needed some data on certain NGOs working in the region, NDLink was a ready platform where I could get such data. I believe NDLink is playing an important role in changing the way information is being shared across the region and I’m glad to be part of it.