REGIONAL WORKSHOP TO REVIEW AND VALIDATE THE CONCEPT NOTE OF THE 2ND PART OF PHASE 2 OFTHE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS MANAGEMENT IN THE NIGER BASIN (WRDSEM/NB) Print
Monday, 04 July 2016 09:35

The regional workshop to review and validate the Concept Note of Phase 2 of the Water Resources Development and Sustainable Ecosystems Management Programme of the Niger Basin (WRDSEMP APL2B) was held on 27, 28 and 29 June 2016, in the Palm Beach Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
In attendance were:
-The representatives of NBA member countries;
-The Regional Coordinating Unit of Users of the Niger River Basin’s Natural Resources (RCU);
-The National Coordinating Unit of Users of the Niger River Basin’s Natural Resources (NCU) of Burkina Faso;
-The representative of the World Bank;
-The representatives of the following structures:
•The Regional Action Centre for Rural Development (CARDER), National Implementing Agency of WRDSEMP APL1 (NIA) of Bénin;
•The Executing Agency of Infrastructure Works and Rural Equipment (AGETIER), NIA of Mali;
•The General Directorate of Rural Engineering (DGGR), NIA of Niger;
•    The Project Management Unit of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN/PMU), NIA of Nigeria and Mainstream Energy Solution Limited (MESL), Nigeria; and
-    Executives of the NBA Executive Secretariat.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Amidou SAVADOGO, Technical Adviser, representing the Minister for Water and Sanitation, NBA Supervising Minister in Burkina Faso. It was marked by three (03) interventions.
A ceremony on the acknowledgement of the actions of Mr. Emmanuel NIKIEMA was held to thank him for his personal commitment and cooperation for the success of the WRDSEM Programme. The ceremony was marked by: (i) a film projection made in his honour and (ii) the giving of a token of satisfaction and a plaque, symbolic gift of NBA.
The workshop commended the NBA Executive Secretariat and the Regional Coordination of WRDSEMP for the quality of the presentation and the Concept Note submitted to its review and validation. However, the workshop made observations and comments on the substance so as to contribute to the improvement of the Concept Note.
After deliberations, the proposed institutional framework was validated. It was agreed that this framework and the roles of the various stakeholders involved in the Programme implementation will be refined during the preparatory phase.  
After deliberations, the workshop formulated the following recommendations:

Recommendation no.1: on the reallocation of any unutilized funds of WRDSEMP APL 1 for the preparation of WRDSEMP APL 2B
-Based on the need to facilitate the preparatory process of APL 2B which, as agreed during the launching of APL 1 in 2007, shall cover all the nine (9) member countries,
The workshop recommends that the NBA Executive Secretariat should address a request to the World Bank in view of reallocating any unutilized funds of WRDSEMP APL 1 of Benin (IDA 43420), Mali (IDA 43430), Niger (IDA H3200) and Nigeria (IDA 43480) for the preparation of WRDSEMP APL 2B.
The Agreement of the authorized Minister of each beneficiary country regarding the use of these funds to speed up the preparation of WRDSEMP APL 2B will be attached to this request.  

Recommendation no.2: on the transmission of actions recorded in APL 2B to the NBA Executive Secretariat by member countries no later than 15th July 2016
-In order to avoid repeating on APL 2B, activities  that have been subject to funding on one hand, and eventual duplications of PIDACC/NB, on the other;
The workshop recommends that NFS/NBA should forward the reviewed actions to be reflected in the Concept Note to the NBA Executive Secretariat by a letter from the Supervising Minister, not later than 15th July 2016. These proposed actions must be from the OP/CRIP as adopted by the 11th Summit of the NBA Heads of State and Government. After this deadline, the proposed actions in the Concept Note will be maintained for the next steps of the process.

Group picture of participants at the workshop.

Presentation of the token of acknowledgement and satisfaction by the Exeutive Secretay to Mr. Emmanual NIKIEMA, TTL at the World Bank.

Giving of the plaque by the Technical Adviser of the NBA Supervising Minister of Burkina Faso to Mr. Emmanual NIKIEMA, TTL at the World Bank.