Abia Communities Scramble For MPP9 Projects

 The Micro Projects Programme 9 (MPP9), Abia State , has commenced collation of Interested Communities Participatory Self Diagnosis (IMPACT) form returned by various communities in the state to determine those eligible for the 130 micro-projects earmarked for the state under the programme.

MPP9 is a joint development programme of the European Commission and Federal Government of Nigeria aimed at fast tracking economic and social development of rural communities in the nine states of the Niger Delta region.

It is equally meant to reduce poverty and increase participation of ruralites in development programmes as well as enthrone good governance and accountability in local government administration in the Niger Delta.

Under the MPP9 programme, micro-projects would be built for rural communities. The ceiling for each project is N8 million with the European Commission providing 50 per cent of the funds while the benefiting community and its local government council would each provide 25 per cent of the fund.

MPP9 Abia State Decentralised Management Unit Team Leader, Dr Kenneth Uzor, told The Tide in an interview in Umuahia that his office distributed more than 400 IMPACT forms to all the communities across the 17 local government areas of the state after Governor Theodore Orji had flagged off the programme last November 23 for them to express their interest and indicate their choice projects.

Uzor said that MPP9 Abia was currently analysing the forms to identify eligible communities which would benefit from the programme.  

“Many communities have returned their forms, indicating their felt needs, what the programme should do for them. Some of the projects they have listed include water boreholes, health centres, agro-processing mills, market stalls and school buildings. The forms are being analysed towards identifying eligible communities,” Uzor said.  

He said all the communities that returned their forms secured the endorsement of their local government councils.  

At the launching of the programme in Abia last year, Uzor had noted that the aim of MPP9 was to institute reforms that would enable the local government administration to provide more infrastructural services, income generation options, sustainable means of livelihood development, gender equity and community empowerment through offering models of transparency and participation.

“MPP9 encourages development through participation between the communities and their local government councils,” he said and enjoined all stakeholders to embrace the new approach because of the advantage it offers to community development in Abia.