Visited Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta. At the formal session with the Governor I said it was important for everyone to give peace a chance. Ordinary people need peace and safety and better governance and to see oil and gas revenue improving their lives on the ground. The Governor said things were getting better following the amnesty offer.
He then signed an MOU with the British Council Director, to train creative entrepreneurs. This sort of training can help get the local economy moving. Creating jobs for the young is a key challenge. The BC are also doing a great job helping in teacher training.
Discussed climate change with the Commissioner of Environment who is looking at a lot of issues including waste management. The potential impact of climate change in this oil and gas producing area is big given sea level rise. And it seems that local conflict can happen if villagers are displaced. There's also a need to tackle gas flaring of course.
The city was busy with traffic, almost as bad as Lagos on a bad day!
Posted at 13:40 25 September 2009 by Bob Dewar | Comments[0]
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