Abia, Edo states win technical support for long-term strategic plans

Abia and Edo states have won technical support for developing long-term strategic plans for this year during the Niger Delta states Pitch Development Plan Competition at last year’s Niger Delta Development Forum (NDDF).

Abia won the first position among the seven competing states.

For this victory, the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Ude Oko Chukwu, was yesterday presented with the award at the Government House by the Partnership/Engagement Manager of the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), Mr. Chime Asonye, who led a delegation from international development partners, including the European Union (EU), Niger Delta Support Programme 4 and the state Focal Person, Mr. Sam Hart.

Asonye, who said the Foundation is a Nigerian non-profit organisation established by Chevron to build partnerships and peace for equitable economic development in the Niger Delta.

Chukwu commended the EU for undertaking various meaningful intervention programmes and projects in the state and assured that government would continue to be their effective partners.  

In her remarks, the EU Project Evaluation Team Leader, Cecile Collin, said her team’s mandate is independent evaluation of EU Projects in the Niger Delta; hence it has been assessing specific and relative intervention programmes in the state to ascertain their impacts.