2023: PIND creates over 14,600 jobs, empowers 65,000 farmers, small businesses in Niger Delta

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has reported significant progress in job creation and economic empowerment in the Niger Delta region.

According to its 2023 yearly report, PIND facilitated the creation of over 14,600 jobs and boosted agricultural productivity for more than 65,000 farmers and small businesses within a single year.

The report highlighted the foundation’s strong investments in peacebuilding and economic empowerment, which have positively impacted thousands of lives and communities across the Niger Delta.

PIND’s peacebuilding programmes trained over 1,200 peace actors and successfully mitigated 108 conflicts, contributing to the region’s stability.

The Executive Director of PIND, Tunji Idowu, reflected on the organisation’s achievements in 2023, noting that PIND not only exceeded expectations but also built upon previous successes.

“Together with our partners, we continued to find creative, people-centered ways to carry out our mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta,” Idowu said.

Among PIND’s notable successes is a smallholder cassava farming cooperative in Delta State, where a female farmer dramatically improved her yields and market access after joining a PIND-supported group.

Similarly, PIND’s Youth Employment Pathway initiative in Rivers State helped unemployed graduate Obunezi Loveday Tochi find a new career in solar photovoltaic installation.

PIND’s Market Systems Development project attracted N13.79 billion in investments from both the public and private sectors, particularly in agriculture and renewable energy.

Furthermore, PIND’s renewable energy solutions powered 12 off-grid healthcare facilities, ensuring uninterrupted electricity for life-saving medical equipment.

In Bayelsa State, this initiative has had an immediate impact, with doctors no longer facing power outages during critical surgeries, significantly improving patient outcomes.

As PIND approaches the end of its third strategic phase, the organisation is aiming for even greater impact.

PIND is currently raising $75 million through its Impact Investing SPV, a blended finance facility intended to support companies in clean energy, agriculture, and youth empowerment with an additional $5 million technical assistance fund to enhance these efforts.

The Director of Strategy and Business Development at PIND, Aline Varre, emphasised the importance of financial sustainability for nonprofit initiatives.

“Grants are a catalyst for development, not to sustain it. Philanthropic organizations must engage in ongoing business development efforts to sustain their programs and operations,” she stated.

PIND’s 2023 accomplishments underscore its vital role in fostering peace and driving economic growth in the Niger Delta. As it looks toward the future, the organisation remains focused on sustaining its initiatives and creating lasting change.