The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in Niger Delta has supported 49,000 farmers in the region with an investment worth over N10 billion through its Market System Development in the region.
This was contained in its 2023 Annual report as presented by its Executive Director of PIND, Tunji Idowu.
He said the investment was carried out in partnership with 100 service providers.
He noted that despite the socioeconomic challenges, including rising inflation and foreign exchange rate fluctuations which affected purchasing power in the country, the Foundation has continued to exceed expectations in delivering on its mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.
According to him, 2023 saw us exceeding expectations and achieving several milestones as we consolidated our previous work and successes while exploring new opportunities,
“Together with our partners, [PIND] continued to find creative, people-centered ways to carry out our mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.”
He added that the Niger-Delta-centric PIND, which started in 2010 by giving out grants to other implementers, has evolved into a go-to resource, convener, and implementer of development programs and projects for other donors in the region.
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PIND, according to him has accomplished this through robust programs focused on community-driven, research-backed needs: prosperity and peace through economic growth and peacebuilding.
He also stated that the organization has
facilitated the implementation of the United States Agency for International Development-led Health Electrification and Telecommunication Alliance (HETA) project aimed at providing electricity to healthcare facilities in the Niger Delta.
Idowu disclosed that 12 Primary Health care centers (PHCs) across Bayelsa, Delta, and Ondo States had benefitted from this project.
PIND, according to him, through strategic collaborations with the government, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders has strengthened its existing peacebuilding structures – Prevent Committees, Prevent Councils, Peace Champions, the conflict Early Warning-Early Response (EWER) system, and Peace Map – geared at promoting conflict prevention, management, and resolutions.
He said the organization through its Youth Employment Pathways project to further has supported the transition into entrepreneurship of interested youth beneficiaries of its vocational and soft skills training programs with N42 million grant.
It also partnered with the Ford Foundation on The Bridges Project to support the implementation of the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) component of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) through awareness creation and capacity building for non-governmental and community-based organizations.
Also, in 2023, PIND undertook an impact evaluation of its work over the previous seven years to demonstrate the value of its interventions in the Niger Delta and learn lessons for improvement.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE