Foundation provides electricity to 12 Nigerian PHCs

As part of its efforts to propel economic growth in the Niger Delta, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, otherwise known as PIND Foundation, has said it provided electricity to some primary healthcare centres (PHC) in Bayelsa, Ondo and Delta states.

The nonprofit organisation, through its partnership with the United States Agency for International Development-led Health Electrification and Telecommunication Alliance (HETA), facilitated the electrification of 12 PHC in the three states.

PIND’s Executive Director, Tunji Idowu, disclosed this at the lunch of its 2023 annual report titled: “Advancing New Frontiers for Greater Impact”.

The initiative through the project seeks to improve access to power supply for PHCs in this region.

Mr Idowu said despite the harsh economic realities in the county, the initiative continued to pursue its goals and has exceeded expectations in the last year.

According to him, the foundation has a mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta and “has so far done exceedingly great in achieving this mission.”

He said: “The previous year saw us exceeding expectations and achieving several milestones as we consolidated our previous work and successes while exploring new opportunities.

“Together with our partners, PIND continued to find creative, people-centred ways to carry out our mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.”

PIND 2023 annual report

According to the recent report, the foundation has achieved the goal it set out for itself and has begun exploring new opportunities for improving livelihoods and ensuring lasting peace in a once conflict-ridden region.

The report noted that through robust programmes focused on community-driven, research-backed needs, PIND improved growth and peacebuilding in communities across the region.

The organisation said it has supported more than 49,000 farmers comprising 46.35 per cent of women through its numerous service providers in its Market Systems Development project.

It said the cumulative investments by PIND-supported farmers and members of other projects yielded over ₦ 10 billion.

The report said the initiative advocated “increased access to arable lands for smallholder farmers in Delta, Edo, and Ondo states by working with representatives of these state governments and their land review committees to undertake Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of reserved lands and delineating substantial amounts for agricultural purposes.”

It noted that the PIND Foundation also created peace clubs in secondary schools and universities across the region to foster changed attitudes and behaviours and promote peace through education.

The report further states in part: “Also, in 2023, PIND undertook an impact evaluation of its work over the previous seven years to demonstrate the value of its interventions in the Niger Delta and learn lessons for improvement.

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“In 2024, one of PIND’s key activities is the launch of the Niger Delta Regional Peacebuilding Strategy (NDRPS) document in partnership with the Ministry of Niger Delta Development.

“The NDRPS will apply a multi-stakeholder approach to tackling conflicts in the Niger Delta, with all stakeholders focused on peacebuilding and conflict management and resolution in the Niger Delta, joining resources to ensure the effective prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts in the region”.