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US Marks 60 Years Of Dev Assistance To Nigeria
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a month-long activity this month to commemorate a major milestone, marking 60 years since its founding by President John F. Kennedy and development support to Nigeria.
Nigeria was among the first countries in the world to receive development assistance under the agency in 1961.
A statement by the US Mission in Nigeria made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said, “For six decades, USAID has built its reputation as the world’s premier international development organisation by partnering with more than 100 countries to strengthen communities and improve lives”.
In the statement, USAID Mission Director, Anne Patterson said, “On this anniversary of President Kennedy’s vision of the United States as the world’s leader in providing a helping hand to countries struggling to develop, I am proud to represent USAID in Nigeria, a country with tremendous potential to be leader in West Africa if it can overcome its many challenges.”
The statement added, “In Nigeria and around the world, USAID partners with some of the world’s top development agencies, the United Nations, local non-governmental and civil society organisations, and host country governments to help save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen governance, and improve health, education, and economic prosperity.
“In 2021, USAID will spend $787million in development and humanitarian assistance in Nigeria.
“Perhaps, its biggest ongoing success in Nigeria has been its response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has wrought the country since the 1980s.
“Through funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in collaboration with the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Walter Reed Army Research Institute, culminating in a 2019-2020 ‘surge’ that greatly reduced a rising trend in vulnerable areas, especially in combination with the ongoing tuberculosis and new COVID-19 pandemics.
“Today, USAID supports testing for 2.4million Nigerians a year, and provides free life-saving antiretroviral therapy for 89percent of the nearly 400,000 individuals who have tested positive.
“Another 62million Nigerian mothers and children benefited from USAID health programs last year through training of public health workers, increasing access to quality medicines, and improving leadership in the health sector with a focus on primary health care.
“USAID support has protected 68million Nigerians from malaria by donations of mosquito nets through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which has contributed to a drop in child deaths by 16percent over 10 years and helped reduce malaria prevalence from 42percent to 23percent.
“Since 2015, USAID interventions in education have helped millions of children and youth improve their lives through better early grade reading skills, and focus, especially on more than 340,000 children whose education was suspended through conflict.
“Through Feed the Future, 2.3million smallholder farmers benefited from improved products, improved techniques, and access to markets and financing through USAID agriculture programmes last year.
“Power Africa reforms will improve an enabling environment and increase private investment in the energy sector, and strengthened management of water systems to increase access to reliable water and sanitation.
“USAID Democracy and Governance programmes support free and fair elections, 230 civil society organisations working for more responsive governance and local solutions to ongoing economic and ethno-religious tensions between farmers and herders.
“Finally, USAID is the biggest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, donating about $343million in commodities and logistical support to ensure the displaced have enough to eat and access to basic health and human rights.
“All across the world, during this anniversary month of November, USAID staff and partners are reflecting on the agency’s success and challenges still to be met.
“Under the dynamic new leadership of Ambassador Samantha Power, the agency is poised to continue to be the premier development agency in Nigeria and across the world”, the statement added.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.