Iloke Egbe MIDC
The Commissioner Ministry of International Donor Coordination Elder Hippolatus Lukpata PhD has affirmed that the Governor, His Excellency Apostle Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu is genuinely committed to the economic emancipation of the State not just by words but with finance and necessary deliberate actions.
The Commissioner stated this when he granted audience to a team from Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project led by Engr. Agbiji Ndifon Ngbe in his Office at the New Secretariat Complex Calabar.
According to him, from the provisions of security, his governance policy framework and the payment of counterpart fund, the Governor has shown enormous and deliberate responsibility to ensure that projects requirements are met. He therefore, expects reciprocal gestures by way of implementing projects according to specifications.
Earlier, the Cross River State Chief Technical Advisor for Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria Project Engr. Dr. Ndifon Agbiji informed the house that the objectives of the project is to strengthen Dams safety and improve management of water resources for hydropower and irrigation in selected areas of Nigeria.
According to Mr. Agbiji, the project is bringing investments worth USD500m to the State and that the investment has four components made up of institutional strengthening and capacity building for water resources management, irrigation modernization, improvement in dam operations and enhancing dam safety and project management.
Mr. Agbiji reiterated that agriculture remains key in Nigerian's economy, contributing so much to the GDP. Further stated that increase in food production is a must and that this can be achieved through improving the performance and management of existing irrigation or expansion of irrigation service areas.
That, project SPIN will support rural base development through the establishment of water users associations and will directly benefit over 950,000 Nigerians.
He informed the house that, the project aligned with the Paris agreement and also with the World Bank gender and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. He used the opportunity to amplified the benefit expected from the project while soliciting the inclusion of the project counterpart fund requirement in the MIDC 2026 budget.
He highlighting on the project results framework to include structure of the project Steering Committee, monitoring and evaluation action plan, financial management protocol and the distribution of Dams in Nigeria.
The meeting had in attendance the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Helen Bessong and some management Staff and the Director Mechanical and Irrigation Development, Ministry of Agric and Irrigation Development Engr. Mrs. J. J. Ulafor.
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