#MNDA_Reflections. Day11 Closing the Facility-Density Gaps in the Niger Delta Secondary Schools and Primary Health Centers

The African Centre for Shared Development Capacity Building in collaboration with the UNDP and MNDA, carried out a comprehensive baseline study of the social and infrastructure sectors of the nine Niger Delta States to provide a solid basis for the design and implementation of the intervention programmes aimed at improving living standards, sustaining economic development and consolidating and sustaining peace in the region. The study is expected to provide a guide to areas of intervention under the Niger Delta Action Plan and provide a basis for evaluating the impact of such interventions by the three tiers of governments, development partners and other stakeholders in the context of the Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund in particular and other initiatives. The aim is to solidly develop the social and infrastructural deficits in the region; specifically, educational facilities (primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary educational institutions), health facilities (primary health care centres, hospitals, Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres), water supply and sanitation, transport facilities (road, rail and sea) and power supply facilities.

The statistics shows that the percentage increase in number of secondary school required by the States to catch up with national average is, Abia 2.74%, Akwa Ibom 4.03%, Bayelsa 2.94%, Cross River 2.94%, Delta 56.25%, Edo 38.89%, Imo 35.87%, Ondo 37.55% and Rivers 140.38%.

These data presents estimates of the percentage increases in the stock of primary schools that are required to close the gaps between the densities of each of the nine Niger Delta States and the corresponding national densities. It shows that the number of secondary schools in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River States should keep in step with the population growth rates of the States. Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States should increase the number of secondary schools by 56%, 39%, 36%, 28% and 140% in order to catch up with the national density. Thereafter, they should ensure that the increases are in line with the population growth rates of their respective states.

The statistics shows that the percentage increase in number of primary health care required to catch up with national average is, Abia 21.43%, Akwa Ibom 8.97%, Bayelsa 11.84%, Cross River 2.94%, Delta 46.55%, Edo 54.55%, Imo 70.00%, Ondo 3.05% and Rivers 102.38%.

With respect to primary healthcare centres, all but Cross River and Ondo States need to significantly increase the stock of primary health centres in order to catch up with the national density. There is need for considerable increases in the stock of primary health centres in Rivers (102%), Imo (70%), Edo (55%) and Delta (47%) in order for them to catch with the national density. Relatively modest increases are required in Abia (21%), Akwa-Ibom (9%) and Bayelsa (11%) in order to close the gaps between these states and the nation.