Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, has disclosed that about 5,000 persons have so far benefited from the EU-supported livelihood project being implemented in the Niger Delta.
The initiative, carried out by Search for Common Ground with EU support, focuses on peacebuilding, resilience, reducing violence and criminality, and improving livelihoods across the region.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State at Government House, Yenagoa, Mignot said the visit was to assess the progress of the project, which is ongoing in 16 communities across the state’s eight local government areas.
He noted that the EU had launched a new cooperation strategy in 2021, the Global Gateway, aimed at leveraging investments in Nigeria in partnership with its 27 member states. In 2023, the EU committed €6.5 million to projects in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States, implemented through partners such as Search for Common Ground, SDN, and PIND.
“About 5,000 persons have benefited from the project, which focuses on peacebuilding, resilience, reduction in violence, criminality, and livelihood. We extended our stay in the Niger Delta to ensure objectives are met and funds are fully utilized for the benefit of the communities,” Mignot stated.
He expressed hope that state authorities would sustain the initiatives at the end of the project to consolidate peace and development in the region.
In his remarks, Governor Douye Diri urged the EU to retool its approach to make the impact of its interventions more visible in host communities.
“It is amazing the amount of money the EU has committed to the Niger Delta, particularly Bayelsa State. But compared with the impact of such projects, I believe the EU needs to look inwards. If development partners channel resources properly, the impact will be more noticeable,” Diri said.
The governor, however, commended the EU as a grassroots-oriented development partner and pledged Bayelsa’s collaboration to sustain peace and address regional challenges under the Global Gateway strategy.
Later in the evening, Governor Diri conferred Bayelsa citizenship on Ambassador Mignot at a state dinner in his honour, describing Bayelsa as “the cradle of the Ijaw nation and the epicenter of the Niger Delta.”
Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr. Peter Akpe, in his welcome address, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to sustaining its partnership with the EU.
