VZCZCXRO7992
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0322/01 2241503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111503Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0114
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9790
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000322 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR USTR AGAMA 
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ 
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART 
STATE PASS TDA FOR LFITT, PMARIN 
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER 
DOE FOR GPERSON,CHAYLOCK 
TREASURY FOR DFIELDS, AIERONIMO, RHALL 
DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS 
DOC FOR 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV EAID ECON EPET NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: GGESS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 
SUBCOMMITTEE LAUNCHES PROJECT COORDINATION MECHANISM 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Subcommittee on Sustainable Development 
(SSD) of the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy (GGESS) 
met on July 14 in Akwa Ibom (AI) State. Participants for the 
State Government, international oil companies, Niger Delta 
Development Commission (NDDC) and banks agreed to provide 
project information for a joint matrix. The matrix will help 
ensure that state functional ministries assume responsibility 
for projects upon completion. AI state plans to include 
representatives of local government areas at the next 
quarterly meeting to be held in the State. Implementation 
will require significant capacity building particularly at 
the Local Area Government (LGA) level. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Pol-Econ Chief and Poloff attended the July 14 Meeting 
of the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy (GGESS) 
Subcommittee on Sustainable Development (SSD) in Akwa Ibom 
State.   Prior to the meeting, the chairman of the SSD, Mrs. 
Dayo Akinmoyo, Corporate Strategy and Planning, NNPC and 
former personal assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, 
explained that the SSD is one of four GGESS sub-committees. 
The other sub-committees are: Small Arms, Money Laundering, 
and Oil Bunkering. The sub-committee's purpose is to bring 
parties together at the state level and to establish 
transparency, eliminate duplication of effort and foster 
sustainability by involving the functional ministries. 
Akinmoyo stated that she had "never seen such passion from 
governors" to find solutions to the problems in their states 
as she has from the current set of governors.  She claimed 
that all the core state governors have agreed that the state 
was the correct working level at which to tackle the problem 
of development in the Niger Delta.  In attendance were 
representatives of Akwa Ibom ministries, NNPC, NDDC, Exxon 
Mobil, Addex Petroleum, Zenith Bank, and the London Business 
Development Agency. 
 
Akwa Ibom: Power, Roads, Water are Priorities 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Economic Development Orak 
Udosen told the SSD that Governor Akpabio's government wanted 
to make its mark with "systematic planning of infrastructure 
and development projects."  He stressed that in the past, 
many projects had been initiated but then abandoned due to 
inadequate planning. Furthermore, neither oil companies nor 
international aid agencies should be pursing projects that 
are not part of the over-all Akwa Ibom State Development 
Plan.  He reiterated that the goal of the GGESS sub-committee 
was to establish a framework for coordinating the diverse 
efforts of various public and private organizations, both 
foreign and domestic, in order to create sustainable 
development in Akwa Ibom and other core Delta states. 
Significantly, the committee at state level includes the 
functional ministries in order to ensure the sustainability 
of projects. 
 
Functional Ministries Essential for Sustainability of Projects 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶4. (U) Participants discussed their ongoing and proposed 
projects. Exxon Mobil pointed out that in some areas the 
company is paying teachers' salaries and providing 
electricity to local communities from their own generators. 
It was noted that sustainability for a project such as a 
school entails assuring that teachers are available and that 
their salaries are paid on time; for a hospital built by a 
donor, sustainability means hiring medical personnel and 
purchasing equipment; for a power plant, sustainability means 
regular maintenance.  Many of these are state government 
functions the Exxon Mobil representative said. Udosen agreed, 
clarifying that this was the reason for including functional 
ministries in the SSD. 
 
¶5. (U) Dr. Chris Ekong, former Commissioner for Economic 
Development and Facilitator of Akwa Ibom Development 
Partners, identified capacity building for good governance 
and project management at the LGA level as essential for 
sustainability.  In addition, he said this is an area in 
 
LAGOS 00000322  002 OF 002 
 
 
which international aid would be particularly effective and 
appreciated. The lack of capacity at the LGA level 
contributes significantly to waste, corruption and ultimately 
project failure, he said. 
 
SSD Raises Pointed Questions about NDDC Projects 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6. (U) Both IOC representatives and Akwa Ibom officials asked 
pointed questions about NDDC projects.  Dr. Ekong stressed 
that the Delta needs NDDC to do "mega projects not 
boreholes." Dr. Ekong told the NDDC representative that it 
was imperative he hand over a list of NDDC projects in the 
State so that Ekong could assure that the functional 
ministries assumed responsibility for them upon their 
completion.  He also challenged NDDC's claim that its 
projects are community-based; Ekong said he knew of projects 
where a borehole had been drilled in an individual's 
compound, out of reach of the community. 
 
SSD to Coordinate Projects via Matrix 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) GGESS-SSD coordinator Akinmoyo will prepare a matrix 
which NDDC, IOCs and the State will populate with on-going 
and proposed projects in the state.  The matrix will contain 
information about the nature, location, sponsor, total 
budget, funds spent and progress made for all development 
projects in the state.  Dr. Chris Ekong pledged that the 
state government will provide complete information about its 
own projects and transparency in reporting how funds are 
spent to match the transparency the State is requiring of the 
IOCs and international donors.  He said the matrix will 
eliminate duplication of projects, and enable all 
participants to keep track of spending and progress on 
projects.  It will also alert functional ministries to 
projects which will require sustained support in the form of 
personnel and maintenance.  The SSD itself will meet 
quarterly. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: The SSD appeared to be a useful forum in 
which issues bearing on sustainability could be discussed and 
is also a good tool for involving the functional ministries. 
The matrix could prove an effective monitoring tool. 
Nevertheless, Poloffs remain skeptical about implementation 
in light of the severe capacity shortages at the LGA level. 
 
This cable has been cleared by Abuja. 
BLAIR