By Nnasom David

ClonesHouse, a leading organisation in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity development, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting institutions and young professionals working to strengthen accountability systems across Nigeria.

The organisation made the pledge during the National MERL Symposium held in Abuja on Tuesday. The event was organised by the Nigerian Association of Evaluators and sponsored by ClonesHouse.

Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programmes at ClonesHouse, Onochie Mokwunye, said the symposium aims to improve M&E practice among government agencies.

He noted that feedback from ministries, departments and agencies is essential for shaping programmes that support the institutionalisation of M&E nationwide.

“Clones House remains dedicated to supporting M&E growth, youth empowerment, and strengthening accountability systems across all levels of government,” he said.

According to him , he said the group views its support for the sector as both strategic and necessary.

“Clones House has been a longstanding partner driving M&E practice in Nigeria. It is only logical that we support the efforts of the M&E Association of Nigeria.”

He said inadequate capacity, limited funding and restricted opportunities continue to hinder youth participation in the M&E field.

He explained that the organisation has designed programmes to break these barriers, including internships and training that allow young people to enter the sector without heavy emphasis on prior experience.

One of its flagship programmes, she added, is the Basic Monitoring and Evaluation Training Programme, which equips young professionals with foundational knowledge.

Onochie said ClonesHouse would expand its collaboration with government institutions if given the opportunity, noting that it had previously supported the development of an M&E assessment tool used to strengthen evaluation systems in MDAs.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of ClonesHouse LLC, Oludotun Babayemi, said the sponsorship of the 2025 symposium reflects the organisation’s ongoing commitment to advancing evaluation practice across Africa.

He said the event brings together professionals, policymakers, researchers, development partners and young evaluators.

In his welcome address, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of NAE, Dr Shamsudden Usman, said the symposium reinforces a commitment to strengthening national governance systems.

He said the focus is on monitoring violations, ensuring compliance with standards, and promoting credible evaluations through M&E tools.

Also , a Director from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Ahmed Sani, said the symposium followed a three-day training programme aimed at enhancing the capacity of young evaluators.

He added that the ministry advocates increased funding for M&E and pushes for project-level allocations, in line with the National M&E Policy.