2000, N’ Delta Communities Get EU Projects

A total of 2,000 Niger Delta communities are currently benefiting from the European Union (EU) supported Micro Projects Programme in the nine states of the area (MPP9),

The Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, Dr Usman Shamsuddeen, disclosed this yesterday in Port Harcourt during the launching of the implementation of MPP9 in Rivers State.

Dr Shamsuddeen, who was represented by the secretary, National Planning Commission, Mr Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, said the EU-supported programmes had successfully provided some communities with socially and economically relevant micro-projects that had contributed to the reduction of poverty in the states, thereby assisted in curtailing restiveness.

He explained that the MPP9 was designed to work with reform – minded local government areas where the authorities are ready and willing to cooperate in implementing micro-projects in a transparent manner.

According to him, the Financing Agreement for the MPP9 was signed in 2008 with a total budgetary allocation of €71.5 million (Euros).

Out of the amount, the EU is to provide €45.5 million while the beneficiaries are to provide the balance of €26 million as a mark of commitment and ownership.

The minister said the lessons learnt in the implementation of the MPP3 and MPP6 projects were brought to bear in the articulation of the MPP9 to attain greater service delivery.

The EU Ambassardor, Dr David Macrae said the launching of 100 micro projects in Rivers State alone covered water projects, educational blocks, civic centres, open and locked up markets, cassava and palm oil processing mills.

Dr Macrae explained that the European Development Fund (EDF) contribution to the construction of these projects was estimated at over N500 million while the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP) would be coming soon to inject about N9.23 billion to the region with Rivers State as major beneficiary.

“The progress we are recording has been made possible through the support and commitment of the state and local governments in Rivers State, and we look forward to this fruitful relationship as we move to the future”, EU Ambassador said.

He noted that interactions with stakeholders at various stages of the project had led to deep cross fertilization of ideas that would strengthen the sustainability of the projects.

According to him, the progress towards good governance and democracy was encouraging, and we hope that working with the state and local government administrations will continue far into the future.

bringing along it mutual benefits.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Gogo Levi Charles, said the MPP9 programme is a development strategy aimed at transforming the rural communities in line with developmental aspirations of the rural people.

Mr Levi Charles said a total of 100 projects have been earmarked for implementation in 13 local government area of the state with 44 projects at advanced stages of completion while work on the remaining 56 projects will commence soon.

The Commissioner lauded the Governor for allowing fruitful collaboration between the state and its development partners as it jointly delivers development to the people of the state.

Launching the programme, the State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, represented by his Deputy, Tele Ikuru, said the State government had made giant strides in education and would soon achieve uninterrupted power supply.

He urged the operators of the programme to ensure that the projects meet standards, saying that the State government’s Primary Schools are of internationals standard.

John Bibor