Niger Delta Human Development Report - UNDP Nigeria - United ...

Days of labour are lost,
productivity drops,, and
households slash
spending on education
to pay for health care.
HIV&AIDS been fully integrated into
development programmes.
Unlike other states in the Niger Delta
region, Akwa Ibom State put a 2005 work
plan in place and is currently developing a
five-year strategic plan with inputs from
the State Action Committee and the State
Project Team. Both Imo and Akwa Ibom
states are very good in coordinating
HIV&AIDS programmes (see chart 4.9).
Imo’s State Action Committee submits
quarterly reports to the National Action
Committee, the state government and the
World Bank, and collaborates with about
42 organizations. Coordination is
considered to be very weak in Cross River
and Edo states, where the state committees
lack logistical support.
Only Cross River and Akwa Ibom states
outperformed the national average in
advocacy and sensitization activities. In
both states, advocacy outreach is targeted
at policy makers, while sensitization
programmes are directed at a cross-section
of society. Strategies used in reaching out
to people include lectures and seminars,
jingles, rallies, media campaigns, meetings
and distribution of educational materials.
Still, there is much room for improvement.
All states in the region are still below the
national average in the scope of their
intervention programmes. Resources have
also fallen short. Although roughly all the
states have paid their counterpart funding
for the International Development
Association credit (see chart 4.10), only
Cross River State has put in place an
effective financial system. It released
N14.00 million to implement its 2005
work plan. In contrast, although N21.00
million was approved by the Akwa Ibom
State Government for HIV&AIDS
activities in 2005, nothing was actually
released.
Given the low level of intervention,
inadequate facilities and limited resources,
the future prospects for the region in terms
of controlling HIV&AIDS are
troublesome. Stepped up efforts are
needed for the challenges ahead.
Impacts on Key Sectors
HIV&AIDS touches every sector of the
Niger Delta economy. In agriculture, for
example, when HIV&AIDS strikes
farmers, the reduced cultivation of cash
crops and food products is the result.
Although it is difficult to precisely define
the shortfall in crop production attributable
to HIV&AIDS, primary data collected
indicate that many farmers have died of
diseases related to AIDS. A focus group
participant in Abia said:
“When you see young farmers getting very sick
and lean, what else can be responsible?”
In the economic and business spheres,
HIV&AIDS has exacerbated the already
Chart 4.9: State Responses to HIV/AIDS: Coordination, Planning and Governance
106 NIGER DELTA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT