BY CHRIS OCHAYI

ABUJA—The Federal Government has concluded plans to launch the Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund, MSTF, to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta.

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, who disclosed this at the Women Civic-Orientation & Empowerment  Summit yesterday in Abuja, explained that the MSTF was designed to address the enormous challenges of the region.

The summit was organised by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for women in the Niger Delta to sensitize them towards their unique roles of sustaining peace at the home-front and at institutional levels.
Orubebe noted that “as you are aware, the challenges in the Niger Delta are quite enormous and required huge resources which the government alone can not provide.”

Endorsement
It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had in April last year endorsed the establishment of the Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund, MSTF, which is expected to solve the decades of funding problems faced in the process of developing the region.

The programme, contained in Niger Delta Action Plan developed by the Ministry of Niger Delta, is expected to mobilise an additional $200 million (about N3.2billion) as the first tranche of funding to address desired multiplier effect for the region.

Creation of the Trust Fund

Orubebe declared that the Niger Delta Action Plan had, in this regard, proposed the creation of Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund to be launched this year to ensure that the desired multiplier effects were achieved in the best interest of the region.

Elder Orubebe, who was represented by the Minister of State, Arch. Darius Ishaku, announced that the ministry, through its activities as well as of other government agencies, had been able to win the confidence of major stakeholders in the region, adding that this greatly reduced militancy and youth restiveness which had subsequently led to interrupted oil production, thereby increasing the nation’s revenue.

Orubebe said: “The creation of a ministry to handle the development of the Niger Delta in particular, is a deliberate attempt by government to focus on the myriad of problems ranging from environmental degradation and poverty which are especially faced by women in the region.”

Women summit

On the women summit organised by the ministry, Orubebe said: “As you are aware, sustainable peace is essential ingredient in any society for meaningful development to take place.

“Accordingly, this summit will further explore the means of sustaining peace in the Niger Delta through you the mothers of the area so that the potentials of our women could be meaningfully harnessed in various spheres which will result in positive impact on the lives of people.”