Eni and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) yesterday signed a Collaboration Agreement to promote access to clean and safe water in Nigeria through the construction of wells powered by photovoltaic systems, for domestic use and irrigation. The project aims to contribute to humanitarian interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and for host communities, affected by the North East crisis - Lake Chad, which has caused unprecedented population movements and a prolonged interruption of agricultural activities , breeding and fishing.
This collaboration responds to the request made by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Oil & Gas companies to provide support in alleviating the suffering of the victims of the North East outbreaks, through sustainable intervention programs that have a positive impact on the life of communities. Within this framework, the project is aligned with “The Buhari Plan-Rebuilding the North East” for humanitarian relief and socio-economic stabilization of the North East of Nigeria.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Suffyan Koroma, praised the initiative of the Federal Government saying that the project will support efforts to rebuild livelihoods in the region, preparing the ground for intervention strategies to move from the humanitarian phase to that of development when the revolts cease.
Koroma commented that "the North East of Nigeria is an area that FAO knows well; our interventions in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the three states most affected by the Boko Haram uprising, helped internally displaced people (IDPs) in the camps and those who returned to the liberated communities, as well as the host communities, to return to their own farms and get their lives back on track ".
Alberto Piatti, Eni's Executive Vice President for Responsible and Sustainable Business, commented: "Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) enable institutions to leverage private sector skills and help companies respond to development needs identified by the institutions. They are an opportunity to expand the role that companies can have in sustainable development ".
This water access project is the first initiative promoted in collaboration between FAO and ENI. Within the project, FAO will provide support for the identification of the intervention areas, as well as technical support and know-how in the identified areas, while Eni will drill wells, equip them with photovoltaic systems, and guarantee targeted training and maintenance. to long-term sustainability.
This Collaboration Agreement is an example of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) implemented locally. PPPs are an essential tool for the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda adopted by the UN in the 2015 - the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative supports all 17 objectives, but focuses more on the following: Objective 1, defeating poverty in all its forms, everywhere; 2 goal, to defeat hunger; 6 objective: to guarantee to everyone the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation; 13 objective: to take urgent measures to combat climate change and its consequences; 17 objective: to strengthen the implementation modalities and re-launch the global partnership for sustainable development. The collaboration meets these objectives, in particular with regard to establishing multi-stakeholder partnerships that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Eni is present in Nigeria from the 1969 with onshore and offshore activities. This project is part of Eni's commitment to sustainability in the country, which includes activities related to agricultural development, access to energy, health, training, environmental protection, as well as specific initiatives for stakeholder engagement in local communities and for the promotion of transparency.
The FAO Representation in Nigeria has been established in the 1978, and has projects and programs in over 30 States of the Federation.