2019 Niger Delta Partnership Initiative Foundation (NDPI) Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS – PROGRAM

BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY

Since 2010, NDPI and PIND have made veritable strides towards economic and social equality and stability. By engaging directly with the communities most impacted by poverty and conflict, we have afforded people in the Niger Delta the opportunity to construct meaningful change. We have helped build local capacity by conducting trainings in good business practices, emphasizing collaboration. The graduates and participants are actively supplanting poverty for self-determination. In the words of a PIND beneficiary, “Lucky” Omote, “PIND recognized my potential and empowered me to develop it.” Lucky became a successful craftsman despite previously thinking himself in a hopeless situation due to his physical disability. But with the help of NDPI and PIND, like so many others, Lucky learned the essential formula for posterity: knowledge transforms. Examples abound.

EMPOWERING WOMEN AND GIRLS

NDPI and PIND also focus on equipping women and girls with skillsets to become leading advocates in their communities. We lead trainings for women and girls and have seen the participants apply their learnings and raise their voices in their communities — advocating for greater gender equity. Women—young and old—are finding themselves in mold-breaking positions of power, and the social effects are accordingly palpable—campaigns against gender-based violence have led to policy actions, which in turn produce more employment opportunities for all women. That positive effects compound is no surprise. One of the tacit but evident premises of PIND is that positive influence for change begets greater positivity. In time, the dream and plan are that all these innovations will suffuse throughout each of the Niger Delta states, and eventually form a broad chain of collegial change and determination. By working together, peace and posterity are inevitabilities.

Case Study – Solar Mini Grid

BRINGING ENERGY ACCESS TO THE NIGER DELTA’S LAST MILE COMMUNITIES

BACKGROUND

The Niger Delta region is home to around 32 million people. Even though the oil-rich region is the source of 75% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, over 70% of the population live on an average of less than USD $2 a day beset by a myriad of complex development challenges, including conflict, youth restiveness, high unemployment and limited electricity access. NDPI and PIND are helping establish grid electricity and reliable, scalable off-grid solutions to make the region a more attractive region for investment by tapping into the entrepreneurial potential of the Niger Delta.

THE INNOVATION

The Solar Mini Grid is a 20-foot off-grid solar system that collects, stores and distributes clean electricity. It is an ‘energy in a box’ solution that utilizes a pay-per-use model and power purchasing agreements with local developers.

PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS

In April 2019, NDPI, PIND and A4&T Power Solutions Limited, a Nigerian solar power provider, piloted the Solar Mini Grid in the Gbagira community, a coastal community located along a stretch of coastal settlements along the Apostle Canal in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. Like many other ‘last mile’ communities, it remains underserved with electricity. PIND facilitated the signing of a power purchase deal between the Gbagira community and A4&T for an initial period of one-year. The signed agreement ensures that the business can deploy resources to this community without any fear of competition from similar providers. With an initial investment by PIND and A4&T, electricity is being provided without end-user financing or upfront costs of equipment.

IMPACT

The impact is noteworthy. Along with broad-based community adoption and acceptance, the Solar Mini Grid reduced the cost of electricity by over 30% to roughly USD $0.33 per kWh (~NGN 120) and powered 60 businesses and households. Through newer technologies like lithium batteries and smart metering, energy storage capabilities have improved significantly, and communities can have up to 14 hours of electricity daily. Results from the monitoring and performance of the Solar Mini Grid suggest that unlocking the potential of solar has had a significant impact on the local economy and can increase business turnover by up to 40%. The project is also having positive environmental impact due to zero emission and reduction of noise pollution.

COVID-19 – SPECIAL REPORT

OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19

As 2020 began, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was thought of as a mostly China-specific issue. But by late February, our world – seemingly overnight – was turned upside down. People around the globe were learning what the pandemic meant for them and were coming to understand the potential health risks of the virus. By November, nearly 50 million people had contracted the virus and more than 1,200,000 people had died from it, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Rising to address the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19:
• NDPI and PIND partnered with Flying Labs Nigeria South West Hub to launch an interactive dashboard/map that provides the latest information on cases in the Niger Delta, preventative measures, state actions, and hotlines. Learn more the dashboard here: https://pindfoundation.org/niger-delta-covid19-updates/.
• Around the world, incidence of domestic violence and violence against women increased in step with the onset of the pandemic. In response, we promoted the Flying Labs Nigeria South West Hub’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Observatory and amplified campaigns to stop violence against women and girls during the lockdown.

We also modified the ways in which we conducted critical capacity-building activities. For instance, we changed how we went about improving agronomic and business practices for farmers and enterprises. We began conducting virtual trainings and altered our practices for in-person trainings to maintain social distancing and implement other safety measures.