Mdaihli, M.

English

Aquatic Commons

CONCEPTS IN PROJECT TECHNICAL COOPERATION:
WATER HYACINTH CONTROL EFFORTS ON KAINM LAKE
KEYNOTE ADDRES S
M. MDAIHLI (Mrs) .
Project for Protection of Forests Around Akwaya (PROFA)
Manfe, Republic of Cwneroon.
The Hon. Minister of Agriculture,
The Hon. Minister of Environment,
The Permanent Secretay, Ecological Funds Office,
Directors, Scientists, Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
OPENING REMARKS
First of all, let me thank the
organizers of this conference for keep jug
to their promise not to forget me so soon
after serving for over seven years in New
Bussa as the Project Adviser of the
NigeriaGerrnan Kainji Lake Fisheries
Promotion Project (N/U KLFPP). But
since accepting your invitation to this
conference, I have been asking why I
should still be chosen to give the keynote
address in spite of the more capable
experts on the water hyacinth subject
matter in Nigeria. Soon I came to the
inevitable conclusion that your reason for
inviting me to address your International
conference on water hyacinth is simply a
ploy to rekindle in me yet another home-
coming feeling for Nigeria and its good
people that I have come to love so much.
Now, with respect to the topic of the
conference, please permit me to quickly
confess that I am neither a water hyacinth
bioiogist nor a water hyacinth barrier
construction engineer. Consequently, I
shall limit the scope of this address to
*Mrs Mdaihli was the foundation Project Adviser of the Nigerian-German (GT) Kainji Lake Fisheries
Promotion Project (KLFPP), New Russa, Nigeria from 1993-1999. She is currently Project Adviser,
Gameroonian-Gerinan Proj ecifor Protection of Forests Around Akwaya (PROF4).
8
investigating the reasons why the
German-Nigerian co-operation on control
of water 1hyacinth was successful on
Kainj i Lake. Whereas many
internationally assisted projects
elsewhere have failed possibly because
certain requ irernents for successful
project execution, sustainabi I ity of
project results and achievement of long
lasting project impact were not well
considered and fulfilled.
CONCEPTS IN GERMAN
TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION
After over thirty years of experience
and changing concepts, the German
Technical Co-operation now considers
developmental projects as measures of
partner countries to improve a certain
(problematical) outset situation of a
certain target group in a socio-economic
development process. in the context of
bilateral economic co-operation, the
project, is therefore a project of the
partner country, executed with technical
assistance from Germany. In the
literature, and in day-to-day discussions
among developmental experts, the
importance of participation of the target
group in planning, implementation and
monitoring is emphasized over and over
to ensure success of any developmental
measure.
Nevertheless, it is a strong concern
of the German Technical Co-operation
that while participation in the sense
described above is a prerequisite for
projects success, yet participation alone
is no guarantor for success.
REQUIREMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
The success or failure of internation-
ally supported devclopmem projects can
be traced to the degree of attention or
otherwise paid to the criteria listed
below:
1. That stakeholders in the partner
country realise the existence of a
situation that prevents socio-
economic development to take place,
and that there is the political will in
the partner country to solve the
identified problem;
2. That there is problem awareness
within the target population and their
traditional leadership, and that there
is willingness and physical ability to
contribute to the problem solution;
3. That a well focused and articulated
programme is developed to solve the
problen identified, and that there are
financial means made available to
contribute to the problem solving
process;
4. That dedicated and qualified
personnel in the partner country
exists to contribute to the solution of
the problem;
5. That there is a certain degree of poli-
tical stability to ensure the continuity
of the process of project execution.
It is instructive to note that criteria 3 - 5
are the requirements that both the owner
country of thd project as well as the
project supporting country have to fulfil.
Also, that though the above listed
requirements may sound simple and
obvious, yet if projects that have failed
are analysed using those criteria, it will
become clear that failures are due largely
to lack of fulfilment of those same
factors right from project. start.
THE NIGERIAN-GERMAN KAIN.JL
LAKE FISHERIES PROJECT
The NigerianGernian Kairiji Lake
Fisheries Promotion Project (KLFPP)
took off in 1993 strictly on request of the
Federal Government of Nigeria,
represented by the National Institute for
Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR)
and the Federal Department of Fisheries,
primarily to prepare and implement a
fisheries management plan for the
sustainable exploitation of the aquatic
resources of Kainji Lake: At the time of
project identification the control of
aquatic vegetation was not part of the
mandate of the KLFPP.
Before the end of the orientation
phase, water hyacinth control on Lake
Kainji became one of the major
components of the project and
subsequently a success story of the
KLFPP. The reasons for the success of
the water hyacinth control program
became obvious as follows;
1. The stakejiolders in Nigeria realized
the existence of a situation that
prevented socio-economic
development to take place and there
was the political will in Nigeria to solve
the identified problem.
Based on earlier hydrological
turnover rates, Kainji Lake was predicted
to remain aquatic weed free for a tong
time. In 1977, approximately 9% of the
Lake surface were covered by aquatic
vegetation, mainly Echinochloa spp
(Niger Grass). By 1984, at high flood, up
to 28% •of the lake surface area was
covered by vascular plants which was
estimated to be able to reach up to 40%.
Despite those earlier projections, aquatic
vegetation continued to expand slowly on
Kainji Lake until 1989, when mats of
floating water hyacinth (Eichhornia
crasszpe) suddenly arrived on the Lake.
The then Director of the National
Institute for Freshwater Fisheries
Research NIFFR), Dr. J.S.O. Ayeni in
close dialogue with the Emir of Borgu,
Aihaji Musa Mohammed (Kigera III) of
blessed nemory, realised the potential
problems the infestation of Kainji Lake
by water hyacinth could cause to hydro-
electric power generation through loss of
water from evapotranspiration as well as
to navigation, irrigation, fisheries and
flood control, alarmed the Presidency
through the defunct Natural Resources
Conservation Council (NARESCON)
that was later merged with the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency;
Aihaji A.R.K Saba, the Executive
Secretary of NARESCON processed the
request of NIFFR to the then Secretary to
Government , Alhaji Aminu Saleh
(Sarkin Yaki) who promptly obtained
approval of financial support from the
Presidency through the Ecological Funds
Office to enable NJFFR to initiate the
aquatic vegetation control program in
1994.
Thus it is clear that the political class
was sensitized and showed commitment
to solve the water hyacinth problem at
the Local, State and Federal Government
levels.
The Federal Government of Nigeria
even went a step further (through its
National Planiiin Commission) by
urging the KLFPP to support one of its
counterpart institutions (NIFFR) by
incorporating Water Hyacinth Control on
KainjiLake into the Project's mandate.
10
2. Problem awareness of a target
population around the Kainji Lake
and their traditional leadership, as
well as the willingness and physical
ability of the same to contribute to the
water hyacinth control program was
high.
The fisher folk of Kaiiiji Lake had
soon after arrival of the first mats of
water hyacinth discovered that the weed
is harmful in many ways: it. sends away
fish, it harbours snakes, it prevents
navigation, blocks beaches, dislodges
gilinets, kills livestock, and kills out the
harvestable delicious and nutritious
grazing stocks of Niger grass preferred
and relished by livestock during the dry
season.
Among others, public awareness on
the extremely fast reproductive rate of,
the weed was created in an enlightenment
campaign that was led by one of the most
influential traditional leaders in the
Kainji Lake basin, the Ernir of Borgu,
supported by his colleagues, the Emirs of
Yauri and Kontagora.
Participants at the extension
campaign included officials and
scientists of the Fisheries Divisions of
Niger and Kebbi States, the National
Institute for Freshwater Fisheries
Research and the international advisers
of the KLFPP.
To sustain awareness and to
convince the communities that they
would have to initiate self-help activities
before additional help comes from the
Federal Government radio programmes,
jingles, village singers, posters and drama
groups were used for extension.
Competition was initiated between
villages to identify the most active ones
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in the physical removal of the water
hyacinth from the beaches and the
winners were given prizes.
The villagers responded positively to
the efforts of their traditional leaders and
the government officials and removed in
1995-. 1996 about one million metric tOns
of weeds, free of charge and without any
cash payment or incentives.
3. A focused and articulated program
was developed to solve the problem of
water hyacinth scourge on Kainji Lake
and there were tinancial means made
available to contribute to the problem
solving process.
For the control of water hyacinth, an
approach was chosen that combined
biological and manual control efforts
with the construction of a floating
barrier.
The idea behind this was that as an
immediate measure to clear the beaches
the communities should get themselves
involved in manual removal of the
existing water hyacinth mats for drying
and burning thereafter. To weaken the
newly arriving weed on their way
through Kainj i Lake down the River
Niger to the coast different species of
insect weevils were released that fed
entirely on the flowers, leaves and stems
of water hyacinth.
For a long lasting solution and to
support the 'local communities in their
effort to keep Kainj i Lake weed free a
water hyacinth barrier was constructed to
prevent newly arriving plants from
entering into the lake.
It can safely be said that taken
separately, none of the control measures
investigated could alone have achieved
the set target to manage water hyacinth.
Thus the deployment of the combination
of control methods to manage water
hyacinth is a unique Kainji Lake
experience worthy of publicizing and
extension to other African lakes and
rivers. In other words, the stakeholders
and interest groups, scientists and
Government Officers around Kainj i Lake
had to, and indeed developed their own,
appropriate approach.
The Federal Government of Nigeria
made between 1994 and 1999 the
following fuiids available:
25 million Naira at instalments of N5
mu lion/year for research and
extension on control of
aquatic weeds on Kainji Lake,
20 million Naira was later made
available as counterpart contribution
for water hyacinth control behind
the water hyacinth barrier erected
between Rofia and Zamare in the
north of Kainji Lake, and further
sums of money pledged to NIFFR to
ensure permanent maintenance of
the water hyacinth barrier.
During the same period, the German
Government contributed to Nigeria
65 million Naira for the design,
construction and installation of the
water hyacinth barrier. Additional
500,000 Naira for purchasing of
biological control agents from the
IITA in Cotonou, Benin Republic,
and technical advice/training for the
development and execution of the
aquatic weed control program on
Kainji Lake was made available by
the KLFPP.
Thus, in the case of water hyacinth
control on Kainji Lake it is justified to
say that both the German and Nigerian
Governments pulled their resources
together and contributed ahnost equal
amounts to combat the scourge.
4. Dedicated and qualified personnel
in Nigeria contributed to solving of the
water hyacinth problem on Lake
Kainji
A number of people of different
professional and social background and
from different governmental and non-
governmental institutions guaranteed the
success of the water hyacinth control
program on Kainji Lake
• The traditional authorities around
the Lake, especially the late Emir of
Borgu, Aihaji Musa Mohammed
Kigera III was pioneer with the
Institute and Project in problem
identification, in sourcing for the
necessary funds. He even personally
led the extension campaign across
the villages around Kainji Lake and
monitored the clearing activities of
the beaches.
o Dr. J.S.O. Ayeni, in his capacity as
the Director NIFFR initiated the
development of the water hyacinth
control program, sourced for funds,
and was the brain and the soul of all
water hyacinth control activities
during his tenure. He later, in his
capacity as a Consultant to the KLFP
supervised the design, construction
and installation of the water hyacinth
barrier.
o Dr. E,Nwadinobi from the National
Planning Commission together with
Mr Etuk from the Ministry of
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Foreign Affairs of the FcleraI
Republic of Nigeria monitored the
diplomatic exchange of requests and
notes between Nigeria and Germany,
especially with regards to the
incorporation of the water hyacinth
control activities and iiiiding into the
program of KLFPP and ensured that
the counterpart contribution released
for the water hyacinth barrier was
not diverted for other project
purposes,
Mr. F. Daddy as a research officer of
NIFFR co-ordinated at working level
the activities of the water hyacinth
control program and became the
leading counterpart of ie KLFPP on
the same subject matter. Professor
E.A. Obot spent his sabbatical leave
assisting the Aquatic Vegetation Unit
of the Institute,
Although you might say that lie was
already paid for his job well done,
ye.t I must not fail to recognize
contribution of the local indigenous
Submarine Engineers Ltd., that
worked tirelessly to construct the
water hyac intli barrier with minimal
need for external supervision, and
did not disappear with advance
payments to 11 is noun mated bankers,
Finally, Mr. K. Bruening from the
GTZ headquarters guaranteed the
timely release of German funds to
support the water hyacinth control
program and had understanding for
obstacles, problems, difficulties,
delays etc.,
I am sure that you all agree with me
that the results of the water hyacinth
control program on Kainji Lake would
never have been achieved if those people
13
above• and many others who could not
have all been mentioned here would not
have come together to form a working
team that is worthy to be given the name
team. Therefore permit me to use this
opportunity to thank all those who
worked tirelessly to make the water
hyacinth conrOl program the success that
we can celebrate through this conference
today.
5. Political stability to ensure
continuity of the process of project
eecutiomi.
During the period served by myself
advising on water hyacinth control on
Kainji Lake from April 1993 till
December 1999, Nigeria had four
different I-leads of State and five
different Ministers of State for
Agriculture and Natural Resources. The
Administrators of Niger State and Kebbi
States also changed four times, while the
KLFPP experienced four
Directors/Acting Directors of NI PER.
FEPA changed its leadershLp thrice,
the National Planning Commission
offered two different contact persons for
the Project's implementation committee
meetings and at Minisuy of Forei'gn
Affairs level at least three differiit
officers were referred to concerning t
Water Hyacinth Control Program.
The water hyacinth control progranj
was lucky that all those who took over
from their predecessors coti Id equally l
convinced that control of water hyacinti
on Kainji Lake is a task of National
dimension. One can only conjecture as to
what effects tIme internal stability wjthin
the water hyacinth control etivi ronnient
had on the success of the program.
For instance, that The GTZ.
maintained its country head for Nigeria?
for the entire life time of the project, the
GTZ Contact Person i.e. the Project
Adviser of the KLFPP remained the same
for seven years, and that for project
success the extremely important Emir of
Borgu was with us for seven years of
water hyacinth control program
execution while the founder of the
program, Dr. i.S.O. Ayeni was able to
monitor the water hyacinth control
progress throughout the same seven-year-
period.
CLOSING REMARKS
As the saying goes. "for everything
that has a beginning, there must also be
an end". The time has come to wind up
and hand over to Nigeria the
development activities of the KLFPP
over the remaining project life of
approximately next t%vo years. Both the
GTZ and the partner country deserve a
pat on the back for the several tangible
deliverables that are worthy of both
handing- as well as taking-over. As a
part of NIFFR's co-operation within the
KLFPP, the water hyacinth barrier now
in place and functioning well, together
with developed unique research and
combined approaches of controlling
water hyacinth constitute such landmark
achievement and commendable
deliverables. It is also about time now for
NIEFR to develop the capacity needed to
enable the States and the Local
Government Councils around the lake
take over the responsibility to maintain
the water hyacinth barrier as well as
ensure removal of aquatic weeds retained
upstream of the barrier.
On the national front, one can only
expect that NIFFR will now extend the
experiences acquired over the years on
water hyacinth control to other similarly
affected lakes and rivers throughout
Nigeria. Certainly, the medium of this
international conference should serve, to
publicize their consultancy capabilities in
the specialized area of water hyacinth
control if not world-wide but at least to
the rest of West African sub-region
particularly within the ECOWAS areas
colonized by the weed,
Once again, I congratulate the
organisers of this conference for
choosing such a worthwhile topic of
international interest. I congratulate
NIFFR for hosting and co-financing the
conference in spite of tight budgetary
constraints.
Finally, I wish you fruitful
deliberations at the conference.
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Concepts in project technical cooperation: water hyacinth control efforts on Kainji Lake

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Concepts in project technical cooperation: water hyacinth control efforts on Kainji Lake

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