Niger Delta: EU boosts develpment efforts with N9.2 billion

CURRENT efforts by the government of Nigeria to develop the Niger Delta, a strategic oil and gas region of the country, in the aftermath of the amnesty deal of President Umaru Yar'Adua's administration, has received a boost from the European Union (EU).

The EU is funding development projects throughout the nine oil-producing states-- Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers-- with the sum of 45.5 million Euro. In the local currency terms, this translates to N9.2 billion.

The 27 member states of the EU are implementing a new Micro Projects Programme in the nine oil-producing states tagged, MPP9.

The objective of the MPP9 is to accelerate social and economic development and to assist in resolving the conflicts in the region that has been an axis of low-intensity war since the end of 2005 when the dreaded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) emerged.

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, a team of European Commission (EC) and Federal Government officials visited Rivers State to discuss the implementation of the MPP9.

The EC is however, the executive body of the EU. Its officials and those of the Nigerian government held talks with Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers on various issues regarding the programme and its launch to the general public.

The visit also provided them an opportunity to discuss and endorse a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rivers State Government on the implementation modalities with the 23 local government areas in the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the programme is financed by the EU under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF), and managed by the National Planning Commission in partnership with the EC Delegation to Nigeria.

MPP9 also focuses on supporting the reform processes of government to ensure a transparent and accountable poverty reduction process as well as enhancing effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens at the grassroots.

Around 1,200 micro-projects are foreseen by the programme in the nine oil-producing states in the next three years, out of which some 130 will be implemented in Rivers.

Some of the EC officials who were in Port Harcourt included the Head of Rural, Social, Health, Water and Sanitation unit, Mr. Ramon Maria Reigada Granda, the Project Officer incharge of Rural and Social Development, Dr. Maryam Abdu, and Ms. Michael Wright, who oversees the Nigeria Desk.

Meanwhile, the head office of the MPP9 Programme Management Unit (PMU) is in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State, with each of the Niger Delta states having a Decentralised Management Unit (DMU). In Rivers, the DMU is located at Rumubiakani, Port Harcourt.