AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE:

The office sent a delegation of twenty (20) farmers of Rivers State origin to the Republic of Ireland on the 12th of December 2009, facilitating an overseas training session in Agriculture, in line with the NEPAD Agriculture Action Plan. The training programme, which was organized in partnership with Kasha International, involved representatives from Local Government Areas and rural communities in intensive training in mechanized Agriculture and processes. Our office is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture in developing more initiatives, such as the NEPAD Food Security Initiative, in response to the looming global food crisis. The initiative which should result in massive food production in the state and will accomplish the following objectives: Increase local food production; reduce our dependence on imported food; promote economic diversification; reduce poverty through job creation; and create socio-political stability.

The programme shall also promote private sector participation in the developmental efforts of government in economic diversification and agricultural development. Our office will also undertake a comprehensive Youth Empowerment programme through Agriculture in an effort to facilitate a rural agriculture development programme, which will positively engage about 10,000 to 15,000 youths in the State.

NEPAD INTEGRATED FARMS INITIATIVE

As part of NEPAD Agriculture Action Plan, the office is setting up integrated farms in three (3) senatorial districts. The first of these farms has been set up in Kpite, Tai Local Government Area in Rivers State, in partnership with Coastal Community.

NEPAD AGRO-ALLIED PROJECT:

ICT IN AGRICULTURE:

The office is partnering with the Internet Society (Nigerian Chapter) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers on a new project tagged “ICT in Agriculture”, the first of its kind in Nigeria. The programme has been successful in South Africa, Ecuador and Mexico, and will be domesticated in Rivers State to help improve the State’s agricultural sector by boosting food production through the effective utilization of ICT.

ICT in Agriculture links people and cultures in a revolutionary campaign that introduces low cost, water efficient and sustainable food growing innovations hand in hand with access to technology and information via existing and emerging technologies.

"ICT 4 ALL" INITIATIVE:

The office is also engaged in a series of projects aimed at ensuring that the level of computer literacy is increased among the people of the State, starting with pupils and students of our primary and secondary schools. These projects, tagged under the umbrella “ICT 4 All” Initiative, have been organized in an effort to bridge the digital gap between us and the rest of the world, recognizing the importance of ICT in the development of human resources in the State.

ICT FOR RIVERS SCHOOLS INITIATIVE:

The NEPAD office in recognition of the significant developmental role and impact of ICT is developing an ICT programme to accelerate the development of ICT infrastructure and ICT skills in primary and secondary schools in the State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and private sector. We are engaged in advanced consultations with development partners. The office is poised to embark on the NEPAD e-school Initiative in Rivers State. The office intends to collaborate with the Educational Trust Fund (ETF) in the utilization of the Interactive Learning Network (ILN).

HIV AWARENESS CAMPAIGN/FREE TESTING INITIATIVE:

NEPAD Rivers State is in collaboration with Alliance Bio-Medical to create HIV Awareness and increase access to HIV/AIDS testing in Rivers State. Alliance Bio-Medical, with corporate headquarters in Atlanta Georgia, USA, is a company devoted to creating innovative solutions for the healthcare market. Alliance Bio-Medical develops, markets and distributes a range of advanced medical products worldwide.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Rivers State presents NEPAD Rivers State Gender Equality/Women Empowerment Initiative.

This initiative is aimed at:

• Empowering women to fight poverty by imparting them with knowledge and skills using the best technology available so that they will be able to positively impact their community;

• Guaranteeing women and girl property and inheritance rights;

• Eliminating gender inequality in employment by decreasing women’s reliance on informal employment and reducing occupational segregation; and

• Combating violence against girls and women.

WASTE OIL RECYCLING PLANT:

The State Office, in line with its Environmental Action Plan, is presently partnering with an indigenous oil service company to establish the first Waste Oil Recycling Plant (WORP) in Nigeria. The facility will be set up in order to achieve the following objectives: clean up the environment; create employment; and improve internally generated income.

CHILDREN'S ELECTION PROJECT:

In order to promote and inculcate good governance and democratic values, the State Office is reaching out to the young, in partnership with the British Council, by organizing a “Children’s Election Project”. This will be achieved through the delivery of a six-week course to children in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) aged 13-14, culminating in the conduct of a mock election.