The World Bank has approved a credit of 500 million US dollar (2,7 milliarder DKR) for the development of the Niger Basin in West Africa.
The program will be divided in two phases spanning twelve years.
The first phase of five years focuses on the five countries on the Rivers main stem. It will be funded with 186 million dollar divided in three International Development Association (IDA) credits, 9 million to Benin, 18 million to Mali, and 135 million to Nigeria; and two grants, 9 million to Guinea, and 15 million to Niger.
The second phase will include the remaining four riparian (flodtilgrænsende) countries, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad and Ivory Coast, as agreed in the Niger Basin Sustainable Development Action Program.
The Niger Basin Water Resources Development and Ecosystems Management program will achieve a sustainable increase of the water resources productivity, boost hydropower generation and foster economic growth in the riparian countries.
To create a collaborative framework to benefit the 110 million people living in the Basin, the project will first strengthenthe Niger Basin Authority (NBA) as a critical governing structure managing the common goods and ensuring adequate coordination.
– The project fits the World Banks strategy of supporting Africas regional integration effort, which results in cross-border economic and social benefits, promotes country and regional ownership, and provides a platform for policy harmonization, said Mark Tomlinson, Director of the Regional Integration Department in the Africa Region of the World Bank in Washington.
– The Niger Basins tremendous potential for development and investment is still under-developed: only 20 percent of the irrigable land is developed, only one fifth of the hydropower potential is generated and only 30 of the 200 billion cubic meters of annual river discharge is stored noted he, adding:
– This is the rationale for the World Banks involvement, coupled with the riparian countries commitment to move away from unilateral planning to coordinated regional development actions.”
Presently, seven out of the nine riparian countries are among the bottom 20 poorest countries in the world and nearly 75 percent of the population lives in rural areas, depending heavily on the water infrastructure for their food security and social well-being.
This program is therefore a critical input in achieving the regional growth agenda and providing an integrated framework to tap into the many existing opportunities.
Apart from strengthening NBAs institutional framework, the program will rehabilitate and optimize the regional water infrastructure. This is central to the riparian countries development strategy as it will increase opportunities for multipurpose, income-generation activities such as irrigation, fisheries and ecosystem regeneration.
The upgrading of the Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants in Nigeria is a key component as it will reduce the severe regional energy crisis, provide cheaper and reliable power, and supply additional energy to Niger and Benin.
– This program is a unique opportunity to jointly develop the water resources, promote shared benefits and foster regional integration, said Ousmane Dione, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project.
– In a rare occasion on international waters negotiations and despite the stakes, the riparian countries embraced the vision of hydro-brotherhood with the amazing positive role of Nigeria, instead of the usual hydropolitics and associated competition, said he, adding:
– Developing a collaborative framework to benefit such a large population requires strengthened regional institutions but also long term commitment from the donors to ensure that investments are not neglected and benefits lost due to lack of proper management, operation and maintenance.
Overall, the three components of the program are:
1) institutional strengthening and capacity building of NBA and the national water resources management institutions;
2) rehabilitation, optimization and development of regional water infrastructure including the strategic selection and planning of new dams;
3) sustainable management of selected degraded ecosystems and rehabilitation of small water infrastructure to support irrigation schemes, watershed restoration and agro-forestry.
The credits are provided on standard International Development Association (IDA) terms, with a commitment fee of 0,35 percent, a service charge of 0,75 percent over a 40-year period of maturity which includes a 10-year grace period.
For more information on the World Banks work in:
Sub-Saharan Africa visit www.worldbank.org/afr
Benin, visit www.worldbank.org/benin
Guinea, visit www.worldbank.org/guinea
Mali, visit www.worldbank.org/mali
Niger, visit www.worldbank.org/niger
Nigeria, visit www.worldbank.org/nigeria
Kilde: Verdensbanken
