Admin I Friday, January 12, 2018
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – Chairman, Governing Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, has expressed interest and willingness of the Commission to develop a workable framework for partnership with the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP), which is an European Union (EU) funded programme active in Five (5) states of the Niger Delta Region.
Ndoma-Egba noted that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, was the first to visit him when he assumed office as the NDDC Board Chairman, assuring that the commission is committed to partnering with NDSP in providing basic necessities like water and sanitation for the people of Niger Delta.
The NDDC board helmsman said this when the team from NDSP led by Mr. Albert Achten visited him at his Abuja office to explore areas of synergy between their organization and the interventionist agency.
Ndoma-Egba said: “NDDC is excited about the prospect of working with NDSP to deepen the water policy and formulate the legal framework for water and sanitation.
“We will work assiduously and pursue with urgency and vigour possible collaboration with NDSP and further deepen the synergy with NDSP in project planning and implementation.”
Speaking earlier, Mr. Achten, explained that the NDSP is the first phase of the EU assisted water component of the NDSP-3 with presence in five states of the region namely: Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom.
He enumerated the main objectives of the programme to include: (a) institutional, legal and financial framework in the water sanitation sector; (b) To support Urban and small towns sector institution to deliver sustainable water supply service; (c) To support rural water sector institutions to deliver sustainable water supply and sanitation services.
He further stated that recently the EU approved the extension of the NDSP-3 to 2019 to include the implementation of a synergy programme between the NDSP-3 and some Regional organizations in the Niger Delta like Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and NDDC to address the water and infrastructural issues.
“The thrust of this synergy is aimed at ensuring that these Government Agencies can leverage on the achievements and experiences derived from the implementation of the first phase of NDSP-3 to replicate effective and sustainable water deliveries and infrastructure within the Niger Delta Region.
“The programme is targeted for the implementation of a joint collaborative plan and support for ensuring sustainability of water service delivery in the Region. It is envisaged that this synergy will result in increase in the community managed water schemes in the Region,” Achten stated.
