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World Bank: CSO are relevant in social Assessment of power Sector Reforms

Hamzat Lawal June 16, 2016 2

The senior Social Development Specialist West Africa Social Development of world Bank, Edda M Ivan -Smith, has called on all Civil society organisations (CSO) to have full participation in various project.

Ms Edda, made this known at the World Bank Workshop titled “Social Assessment of the Impact of Power Sector Reform on Users.

“The Voices of CSOs are more like voices of an advocate,and so we are happy to work with CSOs,” she said.

Also speaking, the social Development Specialist, Michael Gboyega, called on CSOs to help support Bank project by dialogue with government  to tap into various projects.

He said that there are lots of opportunities for SCOs to get engaged in helping sending the necessary messages across to the people at large.

The purpose of the workshop was to provide an opportunity for a range of stakeholders to consider the social impact of electricity services. The workshop further presented preliminary findings and recommendations of a social assessment, undertaken by World Bank consultants.

The assessment further considered impacts on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, as well as the opportunities for electricity consumers to be heard and to hold organisations to account.

The workshop also identified how to maximize benefits to low-income electricity consumers, the population that currently lacks access to electricity, and socially disadvantaged groups.

The world bank supports the Federal Government of Nigeria in developing the power sector in Nigeria. World Bank supports is in the form of direct investment support and in the form of indirect support for private sector investment.

 

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Tighten Your Belt!

Hamzat Lawal February 15, 2016 0

As the winds of austerity blows, Nigerians eagerly await the 2016 Budget Approval

February brings with it arguably the most celebrated day of love, Valentines, but that love might not be extended to the federal government of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as many Nigerians are soured at the current state of affairs.

February 15, counts 262 days i.e. 10 months since a new government came into power for Africa’s most populous nation, 10 months, that many argue hasn’t transpired to “change”.

The current increase in electricity tariffs [45%], a possible increase in VAT, declining oil prices, the exchange rate of the naira on the forex and most importantly, the 2016 budget that is yet to be approved, has the masses wondering where the country is heading.

We present to you a timeline of some events shaping Nigerians reactions and Buhari’s tenure: –

Well, it is necessary to note and give credit to the National Assembly for spotting errors in Nigeria’s 2016 budget as seen below:

  • Lai Mohammed, Minister for Culture flatly rejected any knowledge of N368 Million in the budget item of the Ministry of Information for the procurement of computers;
  • Ministry of Solid Minerals To Update Website With N795 Million;

Some other funny [well suspicious] figures most Nigerians will be watching to see if they get approved include: –

  • The State House Rent – N30.8 million [is the Aso Rock for rent?]
  • Office Furniture for Ministry of Power, Works & Housing HQ – N1.2 billion
  • Purchase of Photocopying Machine by APCON – N6.5 million

Whether it’s the revised version, Minister’s version or Budget Mafia’s version that is finally approved, we do hope for immediate action as many local communities who most likely would not read this post live in abject poverty. Families are living a hand to mouth existence, with no electricity, water, nor adequate health facilities.

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#PowerUpShere: An Isolated Community in The Federal Capital

Hamzat Lawal January 18, 2016 0

CYr74IjUEAA3app Ever imagined there is a community in the Federal Capital Territory that never had access to electricity? You will be shocked to discover there is, and that community is Shere which is under the Bwari Area Council.

Shere is a community with an estimated population of about 3000 people in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. For a community that is located just few minutes away from the Federal Capital, one would expect it to have access to basic amenities, but unfortunately this community never had access to electricity in its almost 200 years of existence, the roads are bad, no access to clean water, ill-equipped health care facilities, high rate of illiteracy and school dropouts.

Going to Shere from Bwari, you will be welcomed by abandoned road and power projects; upon arrival in Shere, your body will be covered in dust after surviving the 25 minutes bike ride on the bumpy roads. You will find a dilapidated building with the roofs torn off by the wind over 2 years ago serving as their health clinic; 14 classes, most of them with half roofings or no roofs accommodating over 1,000 students; 2 toilets serving over 14 teachers and 1,000 students; a well filled with sand-colored water which serves as the major water source of the community. That is the reality of Shere community; a community not far from the Federal Capital but far away from advancement and civilisation.

 

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