VZCZCXRO2172
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #1989/01 2831246
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091246Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4119
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0412
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0050
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0040
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0382
RUEAHQA/AFRICA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001989 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM EPET KDEM NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: U.N. CALLS FOR NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT 
SUPPORT AND GIVES UPDATES ON NEW MINISTRY 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 1950 
     ¶B. ABUJA 1951 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lisa Piascik for reasons 1.4. (b & d). 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On September 24, PolCouns, USAID Director, 
and PolOff (notetaker) attended the "Development Partners' 
Consultations on the Niger Delta" at the United Nations House 
in Abuja.  Also present were the Dutch and Norwegian 
Ambassadors, European Commission Charge d'Affaires, and other 
representatives from the Canadian High Commission, Swiss, 
Japanese and French embassies, World Bank, International 
Monetary Fund (IMF), and UK Department for International 
Development (DFID).  U.N. Resident Coordinator Dr. Alberic 
Kacou facilitated the discussion of a proposed development 
partner support package for the Niger Delta for submission to 
the Niger Delta Technical Committee during the week of 
October 6, 2008.  Kacou also updated the group on the 
creation of the new Niger Delta Ministry and the work of the 
Niger Delta Technical Committee and Niger Delta Peace and 
Conflict Committee.  There was consensus among the 
development partners present that it is not feasible to offer 
any additional large-scale assistance without, at the very 
least, a Delta-wide political settlement.  In addition, there 
must be a better use of funds that already go into the Delta 
on a regular basis.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Donor Support Package Scenarios 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Kacou shared a first draft of a proposal for donor 
support, which includes a holistic focus on political, 
security, social, and economic sectors and builds on "the 
consensus for the need for a multi-track national strategy." 
The proposal contains two options: 1) "Best Case Scenario," 
which includes both short and long-term approaches that 
assume security is effectively addressed; and 2) "Mid-Case 
Scenario," which proposes that Development Partners provide 
support in critical governance areas even if the security 
situation is not improved.  Among the Best Case Scenario 
immediate-term priorities in the draft are disarmament, 
demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of militia groups, 
generation of economic alternatives for youth militants, 
improved social services delivery, conflict management and 
prevention, budgeting and planning, and implementation and 
monitoring.  The "Mid-Case Scenario" is predicated on the 
GON's commitment to broader structural change and regional 
leadership. 
 
¶3. (C) The group was hesitant to discuss additional funding 
for the Niger Delta, particularly for service delivery and 
large infrastructure and agriculture investments, and overall 
agreed that the need for transparency is paramount.  A long 
discussion ensued on addressing corruption in the region. 
The World Bank provided examples of its public expenditure 
and financial accountability projects, which could provide a 
starting point, but Dutch Ambassador Van Den Weil asserted 
that corruption is too endemic to have any practical solution 
at present and suggested that working with militants might be 
the only option--although it may be an "unpopular sell at 
home."  Van Den Weil also questioned funding Niger Delta 
development projects in general, noting that perceptions of 
poverty in the Niger Delta region differ from reality in that 
it may not be the poorest region in Nigeria, compared to 
states like Katsina.  EC Charge Theulin stressed the need to 
address the "militants vs. criminals issue" and in doing so, 
ensure that the "oil keeps flowing."  He also questioned the 
commitment to reform at the highest levels of the GON. 
 
¶4. (C) Both Norwegian Ambassador Nedrebo and DFID 
representative Emma Donnelly suggested inclusion of the Gulf 
of Guinea Energy Security Strategy (GGESS) partners as a key 
stakeholder in the process, despite the group's less than 
stellar accomplishments, because it involves key development 
partners as well as the GON, the security forces, the NDDC, 
NNPC, international oil companies and core Niger Delta States 
(Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom). 
 
Updates: Niger Delta Ministry and Other Working Committees 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Kacou gave updates on the new Niger Delta Ministry and 
described the pros and cons of the new Ministry as perceived 
by the people of the Niger Delta.  Among the pros, Kacou told 
the group that the creation of the new ministry might be seen 
as a strong signal that the Yar'Adua administration is 
reinforcing its commitment to finding a solution to the 
conflict, mostly evidenced through its effort to establish a 
clear focus for the ministry, acquire donor support, 
regulatory oversight, and stakeholder empowerment.  Among the 
cons, the creation of yet another ministry may be perceived 
as a diversion away from the real issues.  The Ministry also 
runs the risk of being perceived as part of the problem 
rather than the solution if not run by people from the 
region.  PolCouns noted our concern that the decision to have 
a Minister-of-State within the Ministry, but with an entirely 
separate portfolio (Youth Development), may lead to disputes 
over clear lines of responsibility. 
 
¶6. (C) Kacou also informed the group that the Niger Delta 
Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee recently submitted 
its report to Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.  The 
report contains an overall assessment of the conflict as well 
as recommendations for securing peace in the future.  (Note. 
Post obtained a "confidential" copy of the report and will 
send to AF/W via email.  No cable on this report will follow. 
 End note.)  Kacou also informed the group that the Niger 
Delta Technical Committee will begin work on the 
recommendations of the report on October 15. 
 
Development Partner Consensus 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) There was consensus among the development partners 
present that it is not feasible to offer any additional 
large-scale assistance without, at the very least, a 
Delta-wide political settlement.  In addition, there must be 
a better use of existing funds in the Niger Delta region. 
Currently, the state governments and state assemblies lack 
the capacity to effectively utilize the resources already at 
their disposal.  This makes it imperative that a political 
settlement should include the commitment to build capacity in 
key institutions to ensure civil society participation in 
decision making and end the disenfranchisement of the Niger 
Delta people, many of whom have legitimate grievances with 
their government.  Until then, it was agreed that development 
partners can only play a limited, supplementary and mainly 
advisory role within a larger political effort.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. 
Piascik