“The findings from PIND’s study revealed some systemic constraints in the cocoa value chain. These include low productivity of farms arising from poor agricultural practices; predominance of older and ageing trees with low yields; absence of high-yielding seed varieties; inferior quality beans arising from poor post-harvest practices – leading to discount prices of Nigerian cocoa…
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Through a similar community-centred energy-in-a-box solution, PIND also collaborated with Vectis Business Options limited to retrofit the solar refrigeration units at Sangana and Fishtown communities, and also provide businesses services by selling the service to fisherfolks and households within these communities; operate and maintain the solar refrigeration units By this intervention, over 250 fisherfolks within…
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To support the wide uptake of the technology solutions by identifying, engaging and training the workforce for operating and maintaining the Energy Cabin and Solar refrigerating units as a hub, as well as community based entrepreneurs and stewards that will market the solar renewable solutions in Ogheye, Sangana and Fishtown communities. PIND through partnership with…
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My Name is Tari Jackson. I have been living in Fish Town since 2002. And, in 2003, I started the fish drying business, which we send to Yenagoa. We are always drying fish every day. So, when we heard that there is a cold room here in Fish Town and this is really going to…
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‘’My name is Pa Malo Felix, the Olaja of Ogheye community. This solar that came to this Ogheye community, we love it, and we are enjoying it. Before the solar came, we had generators in this community, but due to the condition of fuel, we haven’t been able to power the generator. In that case,…
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‘’My name is Steven Idikunle. I am the owner of Philipcom Hotel. About a few months ago, we acquired solar electricity that we are using. And the solar light is helping a lot. Before now, we were using a generator, and we burnt a lot of fuel as a result of that. Normally, we did…
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‘’My name is Kehinde Emmanuel Tayo, CEO of Vectis Business Option, a company built on the promises of renewable energy to bring power to the people of this great country. Our quest to solve energy challenges has brought us into the mini-grid-energy space to provide power for the people in the underserved and unserved communities…
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“Now that we have solar power, the amount of noise pollution by generators is reduced. Situations where you want to sleep but can’t because of the noise from your neighbors’ generator, that doesn’t happen anymore… it has been a long time we have seen something like this …we don’t see such often here so we…
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“Thank God another door has opened to me…before now, I was just engaged in tailoring…being a tailor is good but when I came to know about solar and started doing this installation, more funds are coming…. I now pay more bills which I couldn’t afford before, put more food on the table which I also…
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“The training was really cool and worth it… I started a delivery business…like doing home delivery jobs where I pick up your phone from your provided location, make sure it’s fixed and deliver it to you immediately and I get my cash. The least I get is 4,000 Naira weekly and if not for some…
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“I learnt Computer-Aided Design (CAD) so where I am working right now, I am a Chief Product Designer there. I am using my capabilities and CAD skills to do product design as a trade in the modelling of any product and I am paid. I am grateful and thankful to NDYEP and CIC for providing…
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“Before now, after I finished my ordinary national diploma (OND), I was sourcing for funds to complete my higher national diploma (HND)… and I was earning 7,000 Naira a month. After I started working with CIC with skills from the NDYEP training, I can probably say that I am a millionaire now because the project…
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“I was very happy during the solar installation and maintenance training because I didn’t have any skills or handwork, the only thing I had was my certificate. I am just into solar installation for now. The average earning depends on the KVA you are installing… it varies… and you still have to consider the people…
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‘’My name is Precious Ogbonna-Ben; I am from Abia State, a graduate of economics. I enrolled to learn leatherwork through the NDYEP training under the Footwear Academy. I got to learn a lot. I can make footwear for myself and for people, such as slippers and sandals. Before, I used to be at home, sitting…
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‘’My name is Blessing Samuel. I live in Rivers State. I got to know about the NDYEP training project through a friend who happened to be a member of the Rivers State Youth Empowerment ministry. Before I joined the PIND training program, I had no idea whatsoever with anything that has to do with aquaculture.…
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I own a fish farm and belong to Alero Fish Farmers Cooperative Union, a fishing cluster in Egboko Itsekiri, Warri South LGA, Delta State. PIND’s aquaculture service providers usually come around to train us on best management practices. Also, if we have any issues with our fish farm, we would reach out to them, and…
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As the founder of the Girls to Women Research and Development Centre, I have benefited from PIND’s capacity-building interventions targeted at civil society organizations in the Niger Delta. I participated in several PIND training, first as a beneficiary and later as a consultant on gender issues. PIND helps strengthen CSOs and improves their capacity and…
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Before the mini-grid was installed in our community, we had never had access to electricity. If we needed to charge our phones, we would have to go to neighboring communities or seek help from neighbors who could afford generators. Now, every home has a daily supply of electricity. We have power throughout the day, and…
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Before meeting PIND, I had been running a renewable energy company for more than seven years, where we install solar panels and sell other renewable energy products. I learned about PIND in 2022 through the Renewable Energy Service Providers Association of Nigeria (RESPAN). Then I attended one of PIND’s Access to Energy model sharing workshops…
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After I graduated from the University of Akwa Ibom in 2017, I worked for myself, producing and training people on how to make perfumes and soaps. I was hawking some products on the street when I saw an advert for the Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) training. I decided to apply to be trained in plumbing…

I stumbled on PIND’s Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project through a Facebook-sponsored ad in 2019. I was studying Public Administration at Abia State University and looking for an organization for my one-year industrial attachment. I was also hoping to raise money to complete my studies. I applied for YEP and was selected. I trained in…
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I used to operate a POS business at RIVTAF, Golf Estate, Port Harcourt, and I wanted to upgrade and own a fully-stocked supermarket. I approached PIND and took part in the Business Linkage Program. I connected with business service providers (BSPs) who advised me on how to set up a supermarket, including staff recruitment. Through…

In 2022, I saw a significant improvement in my business structure. Before, I had to be present to monitor operations in the business, or else things would fail to run smoothly. PIND helped me set up structures and employ the right staff to handle the daily running of the farm. I can now travel for…

After years as a primary school teacher, I resigned and became a full-home farmer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I met with Ambassador Godwin Akandu from Rivers State, a service provider, who introduced me to PIND, and I received training on cultivating oil palm. I then started planning oil palm and other plants like okra, cassava,…

Before I met PIND, one of the significant challenges I faced was germinating the oil palm seeds. I usually get an output of 30% instead of 80% of the hybrid seeds I planted. In 2019, I met with PIND and learned how to get improved seedlings. PIND helped me get technicians who assisted with the…

PIND trained me as a nursery operator to identify oil palm seeds that are not viable for planning. From the nursery stage, I can now identify seedlings that would not be viable for planning and sort them out properly before taking them to the farm. The PIND approach has also exposed my organization to critical…

I was a teacher before I ventured into cocoa farming because of advice I received from my friends. They said there was money to be made from farming. I am part of a cooperative in my community, and we meet regularly to discuss farming and share knowledge. I first learned about PIND from a fellow…

After I retired from being a school principal for 35 years, I decided to become a farmer. I was introduced to PIND by another cassava farmer who had worked with PIND and seen tremendous improvement in his farm. He invited me to attend a training they organized in Akwa Ibom. Seeing that I had just…

Before I met PIND, I was an agro dealer selling a few containers of herbicides from my home to people in my compound. I discovered PIND through a training workshop with CARA Foundation. PIND facilitators encouraged me to start contacting farmers directly and telling them what I sell. They also advised me to train the…

I heard about PIND in 2012, but my first encounter with the Foundation was a few years later while working with a partner NGO in the aquaculture program. I had just graduated from university and sought employment in the oil and gas industry. When I decided to start my small business, some of the challenges…

While farming, a Mbano woman was beheaded, and her aggrieved relatives accused her husband’s family of killing her. The dispute escalated to the point of threatening the peace within the community. We intervened and visited each warring party to understand their grievances. We then spoke to them about the need for peace and pointed out…

When PIND came to my community, Sagana, in Brass Local Government Area, to facilitate the installation of a solar refrigeration hub, we also received peacebuilding and conflict management training that helped us to resolve an existing inter-communal dispute. We were at war with a neighboring community, Igbematoro, over boundary lines. An armed militant had initiated…

As a member of the Prevent Committee in my state, I took part in a PIND training on resource mobilization. This training has helped me in managing my NGO, Neserok Development Initiative. I learned how to access and maximize readily available resources, whether cash or kind. At Nsereok, we are working towards raising a society…

We appreciate (PIND’s) participation and contribution to the success of the 31st edition of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), Africa’s longest running and most consistent award scheme for media professionals. It is on record that this edition marks the first me that DAME has expanded its frontiers to cover Niger-Delta Development Reporting, and…

PIND’s close affinity with the developmental challenges of the region provides it with the opportunity to formulate unique approaches with its trusted partners that are not just impactful but people-oriented. Working with its partners, PIND is one of the few developmental agencies taking on the challenges of election violence. PIND and its partners have raised…

Through PIND’s support, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has achieved a very appreciable milestone in developing the Niger Delta Regional Peacebuilding Strategy, a regional security framework. PIND’s unwavering commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region has positively impacted the lives of countless individuals and communities. PIND’s work aligns with the mandate of…

I worked in the PM&E Unit and enjoyed going to the field to interact with the beneficiaries of PIND’s various interventions. It exposed me to what an economic development program is about in terms of impacting smallholder farmers’ lives and ensuring the sustainability of economic activities that benefit the entire region through the market systems…

I worked in PIND as a National Youth Service Corps member. I studied Accounting at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, where I graduated with a second-class upper credit. Working in PIND’s Finance Unit was an excellent opportunity to apply my knowledge and practical experience in financial management. I was also excited to be part…

I first learned about PIND during the celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2021. There was an online competition with a chance to win amazing prizes. I participated and came second. After that, I followed PIND on all its social media platforms, and when the internship position came up, I applied and got in. I…

I first learned about PIND when I was searching for internship opportunities in the development sector. What interested me about the organization was its focus on sustainable development, community engagement, and capacity-building initiatives. Its successful projects and the positive reviews from former interns impressed me. I worked in the Business Development Unit. I enjoyed the…

A Neutral Name and Peace Returns Dr. Jeffery Wilkie, Co-chairman of the Warri Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) “My name is Dr. Jeffery Wilkie, the co-chairman of the Warri Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP). So far, through the Warri MSP (which is a brainchild of PIND), we have been able to get experience and build capacity in conflict management—which…

Anthony Akinmade, Cocoa Farmer “I am Anthony Akinmade, a farmer from Ondo State, and also one (1) of the agro-dealers that PIND trained through Saro Company in farming cocoa, farming in palm oil, farming in cassava. I have five (5) to seven (7) people that I have, in turn, trained on how to use the…
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Peter Wealth, Cinematographer My name is Peter Wealth. I am from Akwa Ibom State, married with four (4) children. I am into movie production, which has been a long-time passion since I was 16. I heard about PIND for the first time from Filmatura Film Production (a PIND-trained BSP (business service provider)], who did several…
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Tamunomie Wariboko, a peace actor from Okirika in River State “During training by the P4P [Network], I was taught how to use various methods to address conflicts in my communities. When I became the CSO, I tried to use force to end the conflicts, but it was not working. Then, I introduced a football competition.…
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Jennifer Ezekwem, a peace actor in Imo State With strong field work experience garnered over the years as a member of the Conflict Prevent Committee of the Partners for Peace in the Niger Delta (P4P) Imo State Chapter and the Oguta LGA sub-chapter, I have navigated the nooks and crannies communities, building community and family…

Tari Jackson – Fish Farmer My Name is Tari Jackson. I have been living in Fish Town since 2002. And, in 2003, I started the fish drying business, which we send to Yenagoa. We are always drying fish every day. So, when we heard that there is a cold room here in Fish Town and…
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