By Jacinta Nwachukwu
The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), says it completed 553 projects within seven years into President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The Niger Delta Minister, Umana Umana, disclosed this at the presentation on the “President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Score Card 2015-2023” on Wednesday in Abuja.
Umana said the Ministry had a grand total of released appropriation from 2015 to 2022 of N178,283,518,025.65.
According to him, out of this, the Ministry initiated and completed some projects across the nine states of the region.
He said that in distribution of the completed projects; 163 were done under agriculture/empowerment, 66 for education, 115 for environment and 29 went to health sector.
Others he mentioned were housing 66, orientation/information 21, water 31 while works had 62 projects.
He also said that the Ministry had some road projects constructed in each of the nine states of Niger Delta.
He said that in Abia, six roads were constructed, Akwa Ibom, nine, Bayelsa, five, Cross River, 30, Delta, 14, Edo, 18, Imo, 11, Ondo, 14 and three in Rivers, bringing the total roads completed to 110.
“Some other projects are ongoing at different completion stages in the nine states of the Niger Delta Region.
“The Ministry is constructing inter-state and other road projects in the region to increase number of road infrastructures in the Niger Delta Region and added to the National road network.
“Within the period under review, a total of 102.55 kilometres of roads and five bridges were completed and 102 road projects are ongoing in the region at different completion levels”.
The minister further said that a construction of 500 Boarding Capacity Skills Acquisition Centre (SAC) in each of the nine states of the Niger Delta Region with varied specialisations had attained various levels of completion.
On the area of housing, Umana said the Ministry carried out a construction of 290 housing units to address housing deficit in the Niger Delta Region.
He said that the provision of infrastructure in three selected housing estates is ongoing at various completion levels.
“The Ministry recently changed its policy on Housing with a focus on completing the ones already awarded.
“Education was not left out, to increase the stock of educational facilities and improve the general standard of education in the region, the following have been achieved:
“The Ministry constructed/renovated 29 educational facilities, 44 Schools equipped by providing furniture, provision of textbooks and other educational materials to schools/students while 20 students were given scholarship/bursary”.
On health, he said in recognition of the fact that health is Wealth, the Ministry was involved in the construction and renovation of major health facilities across selected states in the Region.
“Also to increase the number of communities with access to electricity in the Region, the Ministry carried out the completion of 44 electrification projects across the Niger Delta Region within the period under review.
“To ensure access to drinkable and clean water in the Niger Delta Region, the Ministry, under this administration, completed a total of 45 Water projects across the states in the Region.
The minister said that 6,293 women and youths were also trained and empowered in various vocational, entrepreneurial and Agricultural skills.
“As part of the training, each beneficiary was given between N300,000 and N500,000 as Starter-Packs, depending on the vocation.
“Also, Sowing Machines, Grinding Machines, Hair Dressing Machines among others were given to support off-farm vocations in the region.
He, therefore, appreciated the President for his support to the Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission in the achievement of these milestones so far. (NAN)
