Embassy partners group in Stockholm Junior Water Prize

A Lagos-based non-governmental-organization (NGO), Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), has signed an agreement of cooperation with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in Sweden as the organizer in Nigeria for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) for the period 2015-2017. The Swedish Embassy in Abuja is collaborating with the group.

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria last week hosted the official Launch of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP)- Nigeria in his residence in Abuja.

Under the agreement between the two parties, the responsibility of PAVE include: to organize each year starting 2015 a National Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Nigeria (SJWP) Nigeria; finance the National competition through the engagement of sponsors and to select students to represent the winning project in the International Final in Stockholm.

Besides, the group is expected to pay for the finalist traveling and accompany them to the International Final in Stockholm; and appoint a National Jury and to inform SIWI about members of the National Jury.  

In a speech delivered at the event, PAVE Programme Manager, Temiloluwa Ogunniyi, said the Stockholm Junior Water Prize is more than just a competition, but a major event which has a long-term human and environmental impact and a strong commitment to using the innovative and creative power of the youths to address one of the world’s most urgent issues – the growing water crisis.

“Come; let us join our hands to save the world from the looming water crisis. For 18 years, Stockholm Junior Water Prize has congregated the world’s most imaginative young minds for an outstanding competition in the capital of Sweden, encouraging their continued interest in water and sustainability issues. Each year, thousands of participants in over 30 countries all around the globe join national competitions in hopes of earning the chance to represent their nation at the international final held during the World Water Week in Stockholm”. He added that the national and international competitions are open to young people between the ages of 15 and 20 who have conducted water-related projects of proven environmental, scientific, social or technological significance. The projects range from local or regional to national or global topics.

The winner of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize receives a USD 15,000 award, a blue crystal prize sculpture, a diploma as well as the stay in Stockholm. H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the Patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. He also said, PAVE deals with development issues in their environmental and socio-economic aspects with emphasis on the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets regarding water and sanitation and other related human settlement issues including Gender, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate change and Clean Energy promotion.

“We are collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources through the technical partnership of the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna for project evaluation. Among the judging criteria includes Relevance, Creative ability, Methodology, Subject Knowledge, Practical skills and Report and Presentation. “In the context of financing the national competition through the engagements of sponsors, we use this opportunity to call on public and private corporate organizations and philanthropic individuals to partner with us as sponsors”, Ogunniyi added.