This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
INFO USAID/W FOR AFR/WA, ANGELA LOZANO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AID AMGT ABLD ASEC NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE NIGER 
BASIN AUTHORITY (NBA) COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: ABUJA, 
NIGERIA - MAY 9 - 13, 2005 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.   The Extraordinary Session of the NBA Council of 
Ministers took place from May 9 to 13, 2005, in Abuja, 
Nigeria. The Ministers met to review progress in 
developing a framework for sustainable integrated water 
resources management and cross-border cooperation, the 
"Shared Vision".  Session participants agreed to move 
forward with a strategic planning process that over the 
next two years will yield an Action Plan for the 
sustainable development of the Niger Basin for the next 
20 years.  End summary. 
 
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Background 
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¶2.   The NBA is composed of nine member countries: 
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cte d'Ivoire, 
Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. Originally established 
in 1964 as the Niger River Commission (NRC) and tasked 
with coordinating and providing information on various 
development projects of the Niger basin, the 
organization was reconstituted in 1980 as the Niger 
Basin Authority (NBA) and its mandate was broadened to 
include: 
      Co-ordination of national development policies and 
     formulation of the general development policy and plans 
     of the basin. 
    Implementation of projects for sustainable use of 
Niger Basin resources. 
¶3.   The NBA is managed by an Executive Secretariat. 
The Summit of Heads of State and Government, the apex 
decision making body, meets every two years while a 
Council of Ministers meets annually to monitor the 
activities of the Executive. 
 
 
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CHALLENGES: 
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¶4.   The Authority faces significant challenges. No 
member nation has ceded any sovereignty over resources 
es 
to the Authority, thus hindering its capacity to 
execute plans and projects.  Most of the NBA member 
countries are among the world's poorest nations, with 
economies based on agriculture and livestock that are 
now adversely affected by inadequate supplies of water, 
increasing urban migration and hydroclimatic changes. 
¶5.   In addition to poverty and lack of resources for 
development, the basin also faces significant 
environmental challenges, including desertification, 
deforestation and waterborne pollution. 
 
¶6.   Nonetheless, an organization that includes 
(almost) all basin players is an important prerequisite 
for cooperative management of common water resources. 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Shared Vision 
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¶7.   The Shared Vision process, launched in 2004, 
encompasses the NBA's strategic planning efforts, and 
addresses the following core objectives: 
- establishing a common legal and institutional 
framework; 
- sustainable and equitable water resource management 
in the Niger Basin; 
- fostering cooperation and joint action among member 
countries; 
- poverty alleviation and regional economic 
integration. 
 
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EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE NBA COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 
ABUJA NIGERIA - MAY 9 -13, 2005: 
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¶8.   The Extraordinary Session of the NBA Council of 
Ministers on the Shared Vision took place from May 12 
to 13, 2005, in Abuja, Nigeria, under the chairmanship 
of H.E. Mr. Abdou Labo, Minister of Hydraulics, 
Environment and Desertification Control of the Republic 
of Niger. The principal objective of the meeting was to 
assess progress to date in the Shared Vision process 
and to agree on next steps.  All nine member countries, 
invited representatives of nine donor agencies 
including USAID and several sub-regional NGOs and 
international organizations participated in the meeting 
(see attached list).  The participants endorsed the 
satisfactory completion of Phase One of the shared 
vision process and approved the commencement of Phase 
¶2.   Nine million euro is budgeted for this phase, of 
which approximately 85% has been committed by the World 
Bank, CIDA, the French Agency for Development, the 
European Union and the Niger Basin countries. A request 
for support was extended to other donors to meet the 
shortfall in the budget. 
¶9.   With the successful completion of Phase One and 
the approval for the commencement of Phase Two of the 
shared vision process by the Council of Ministers, the 
member countries and participants at the meeting felt 
confident that NBA will be able to achieve its goal of 
sustainable development. The donors contributing to the 
shared vision process expressed their satisfaction with 
the progress made by NBA and pledged continued support. 
Participants: 
Member Countries: 
      ¶H. E. Mr. Kamarou Fassassi, Minister of Mines, 
     Energy and Hydraulics - Republic of Benin 
      Mr. Francis Bougaire, Director General of Water 
r 
     resources inventory, Representing the Supervising 
     Minister of Burkina Faso 
      ¶H. E. Mr. Seini Katchalla, Minister Delegate to 
     the Ministry of Planning, Development Programming and 
     Regional Development - Republic of Cameroon 
      ¶H. E. Mr. Emile M'Lingui Keffa, Ambassador of Cote 
     D'Ivoire in Nigeria, Representing the Minister of Water 
     Resources and Forests 
      ¶H. E. Hadjia Fatoumata Binta Diallo, Minister of 
     Hydraulics and Energy - Republic of Guinea 
      ¶H. E. Mr. Hamed  Diane Semega Minister of Mines, 
     Energy and Water Resources - Republic of Mali 
    ¶H. E. Mr. Abdou Labo, Minister of Hydraulics, 
Environment and Desertification Control - Republic of 
Niger 
      Engineer B. I. Awotorebo, the Honorable Minister 
     of State for Water Resources -Federal Republic of 
     Nigeria 
      ¶H. E. Dr Amodum Diar Mogodi, Minister of 
     Environment and Water Resources - Republic of Chad 
Donor Institutions: 
tions: 
      United Nation General Secretariat (UN-DESA); 
      Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); 
    The World Bank (WB); 
      French Development Agency (FDA); 
      French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FMFA); 
    United Nations Development Programs (UNDP); 
      United States Agency for International Development 
     (USAID); 
      European Union (EU); 
    Islamic Development Bank (DB); 
Sub-regional NGOs and International organizations: 
      Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC); 
      Wetlands International; 
    World Wide Fund (WWF); 
      Agrhymet Regional Center (ARC); 
      Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FEF); 
    Global Water Partnership for West Africa 
(GWP/WAWP); 
      African Reference Group for water (AFGW); 
    United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization 
(UN-FAO); 
    Niger-Wet. 
CAMPBELL