|
|
|
|
Dear NDLinkers,
For us at NDLink, June was a heavy "events" month. We were simultaneously gearing up for the NDDF event in London on June 23rd (read more about it below), as well as prepping and planning for PIND's Appropriate Technology Enabled Demonstration Center (ATED) launch on July 8th and USAID's SACE launch event, Niger Delta Civic Engagement Forum, on July 9th.
 In the midst of all that, NDLink supported the first weekly Twitter chat hosted by @AgChatNG on June 19th with the topic of expanding agriculture opportunities to youth. It was also an opportunity to share with a more diverse audience the work PIND is doing to support socioeconomic growth for the people of the Niger Delta. @AgChatNG hosts a weekly conversation on Twitter for anyone involved in the business of growing food, fuel, feed and fiber every Friday from 8:00 - 9:00pm WAT. We strongly recommend you book this chat series into your calendar and join the conversation whenever you can.
We hope your month was a productive one and we look forward to hearing from you both informally and formally on any development-related matter!
Until next month,
NDLink Team
|
|
We're STILL collecting responses for our needs and impact assessment survey. Responses from the survey will help us plan better develop NDLink to better your needs. We seek your opinions on everything - from website redesign to engagement tactics, from expanding our target audience (development practitioners) to new management processes for the network overall. As a little incentive, we are giving away 5 mifi routers and up to 10 N1,500 free airtime on any network. So please fill out the survey and let us know what you think.
Our month long opinion poll on what should the new Buhari administration focus on has yielded some interesting comments and reactions online. Be part of the conversation by clicking on the image above!
ND-ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT FOR JUNE
 
MindAfrica students during one of their recent after-school workshops.
This month we are featuring MindAfrica, a recent new addition to NDLink Organizations. We met with Mrs. Olere Illuebbey, the executive director of MIND Africa in mid-June to learn more about her organization and where in the Niger Delta they work. From talking with her, we discovered that MindAfrica is independently grooming the next generation of technologists right here in Port Harcourt and we are now exploring opportunities to partner together to enable her to achieve her goals.
MindAfrica Leadership Initiative is a not-for-profit organization that provides free learning opportunities to disadvantaged children and youth in ways that build their innovative and creative capacities. They offer these services through after-school programs, holiday camps and other enrichment programs for economically disadvantaged children and youth in the Niger Delta and other communities. Their vision is a to be the catalyst for a decade-long mind revolution resulting in sharp-minded, highly skilled youth who have the more foundation, direction, education and ICT skills to compete in the global economy.
Read more about MindAfrica and how you can help support some of their initiatives.
|
|
NDDF London 2015 Video:
PERSPECTIVES ON THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THE NIGER DELTA
(click on the image above the watch the full video from the event)
On June 23, 2015, NDPI and PIND partnered with Wilton Park to host the inaugural NDDF event in London, UK. With a theme of "Delivering Sustainable and Equitable Socioeconomic Improvement Through Industrial Diversification", this high-level closed event had stakeholders discussing in a frank manner the complex security and economic challenges facing the people of the Niger Delta.
Participants included experts from civil society groups, including those working at regional and local levels to promote sustainable peace and socioeconomic growth; representatives from multinational corporations including development finance institutions, agri-businesses, development consultancies and international oil and gas companies; local government officials, policy makers, and academics.
Some of the key points arising in discussions were:
- Rent seeking has come to dominate the economy of the Niger Delta through political patronage, extortion and illegal oil bunkering. As a fundamentally domestic process, the region needs to drive a major behavioural change. The loss of political power and fall in oil prices presents a 'window of opportunity' to transition to normal cities with effective organizations using scale connectivity and clustering together to form an effective and growing economy.
- The election of General Muhammadu Buhari as the new Nigerian President presents an opportunity for development. Great optimism surrounds the new administration, particularly regarding Buhari's zero-tolerance approach to corruption and military expertise to defeat the growing threat posed by Boko Haram militants.
- Participants agreed that new strategies for socioeconomic development must promote growth without increasing dependency on oil and gas, such as solar or hydro energy and agri-businesses.
- The public and private sector must not pursue interests in isolation but work together with regular dialogue to identify and pursue development opportunities. Information-sharing is key to enhancing mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships and market competition to increase investment opportunities and appetite in the region.
To read more from the event and to see more photos from London, please visit our Forum site at www.nddforum.org. While there, you will also be able to read up on past NDDF events.
  
  
Photos from the open reception at the Niger Delta Development Forum in London, UK. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
