In Nigeria, three states have met the 30% counterpart funding needed to access the European Union's (EU) N2.4 billion grant for water project in the Niger Delta region. The three states are Bayelsa, Delta and Edo, Business Day reports.

According to Albert Achten, the Leader of the EU expert team, two out of the five beneficiary states targeted in the region are yet to fulfill the requirement in order to access the grant. “The states are Akwa Ibom and Rivers. If they fail to pay the required 30 per cent counterpart funding, they will lose the grant. For instance, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states are right now at the procurement stage and in no time, they will be to access the grants,” he said.

Achten urges the state governments, in the best interest of their communities, to pay their counterpart funds so as to enable them access the EU fund and be able to provide water for their communities. He pointed out that the EU and UNICEF have entered into a five-year contribution agreement to boost rural water and sanitation projects in the Niger Delta region.

The rural water and sanitation project is an initiative under the aegis of the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP). This programme was designed to be executed from 2013 to 2017 to ease the conflict in the region by addressing the main causes of unrest and violence.

Anita Fatunji