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Tag: AFD

  • AFD hails Lagos, LAMATA on new transport interchanges

    AFD hails Lagos, LAMATA on new transport interchanges

    The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has commended the Lagos State government and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for efforts to ease commuting in the state, with the construction of two transport interchanges in Marina and Mile 2.

    The Director of the Africa Department of the AFD, Sandra Kassab, stated this recently after leading a team from the agency to tour the two projects, along with the Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and the Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, to check the progress of the work done.

    Commenting after the tour, the head of the AFD delegation, Kassab, who was excited about what she saw, and the progress of work done, praised LAMATA and the state government for its commitment in wanting to easing commuting across the metropolis. 

     She said: “We have the joy and the pride to work together with LAMATA for more than 10 years already, supporting the development of an affordable, secure, and reliable transportation system that is integrated. 

     “So this field visit is a vibrant opportunity to see concretely how service has been improved through infrastructure investment and to have the opportunity also to really understand the challenge of interconnectivity between the rail, the BRT, and other transportation systems and bring better service to Nigerian people.  

    “I have been really impressed, and I reiterate my gratitude to Nigeria, to the State of Lagos, to LAMATA for their trust. We have been lucky enough to work on the planning of the project, to be part of it, and to mobilize resources for the financing of the investment.”

    Managing Director of LAMATA, disclosed that the two transport interchanges being built at Marina and Mile 2 to promote intermodal transportation will be ready between the end of the first quarter and the middle of the second quarter of 2026.

    Speaking after a delegation from Agence Française de Développement (AFD) led by Sandra Kassab, the Director, Africa Department of the agency, toured the Marina and Mile 2 transport interchange to check the progress of the work done, she said there LAMATA can see great progress with the work done, reason it is very comfortable that at the very latest, at the beginning of the second quarter of 2026, the two interchanges would be delivered.

    According to her, the state has a non-motorized policy, which is driving the non-motorized aspect of the Marina Interchange project. 

    “And it’s probably unique when you look at the intermodal transport system in Lagos. We must note that Lagos has a non-motorized transport policy as part of its transportation policy. Lagos is probably the first state that has incorporated that in its transport policy.

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      “In fact, Lagos is probably the first state that has its own transport policy, and that’s under the purview of our Ministry of Transportation. But what is important here is that Lagos is deliberate about ensuring that we have an adequate non-motorized transportation system. The backbone of that is connectivity, the ability to connect non-motorised transport (NMT) infrastructure to other transport modes.”

     She disclosed that when the Marina Interchange is completed, the plan is to have commuters walk from the outer Marina and get to the J. Randle Museum and some parts of the offices around the inner Marina.

    LAMATA MD said the state would be reducing carbon emissions because passengers will not use cars to connect these locations. 

    Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the State Government is committed to completing the project like many others because transportation is the first ‘T’ in the THEMES+agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. 

  • AFD, EU  back NAPTIN to boost capacities in  power sector 

    AFD, EU  back NAPTIN to boost capacities in  power sector 

    To enhance service delivery, European Union (EU) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) are collaborating with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to boost skills and capacity in Nigeria’s power sector.

    Under the “Enhancing Vocational Training Delivery for the Nigerian Power Sector” Project jointly funded by the EU and AFD, NAPTIN will receive up to $46 million to help in providing power sector stakeholders with a workforce whose skills have been developed and capacities adapted to their needs.

    At the 10th Steering Committee Meeting of the project held in NAPTIN Headquarters, Abuja, stakeholders reviewed the progress made by the initiative, including upscaling the training catalogues; developing, renovating and equipping NAPTIN’s training centers with state-of-the-art standards and equipment; and enhancing the corporate governance and business model of NAPTIN.

    With the biggest hydropower producer and the largest oil reserves in the ECOWAS region, Nigeria also offers great potential for renewable energy. In order to have these resources managed by the most skilled workers, NAPTIN was established as part of a larger framework for a robust training program for the power sector.

     It aims to continuously develop the capacity of the power sector personnel and coordinate training activities across the country and the continent.

     Chaired by the representative of the Federal Ministry of Power, Ms Victoria Adeosun, the Steering Committee Meeting was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance; the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning; the Bureau for Public Enterprises; the Transmission Company of Nigeria; the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission; and the funding partners, AFD and the EU Delegation. In, what NAPTIN’s Director General, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode described as a “very important and historic meeting”, members of the Steering Committee congratulated all project stakeholders on the success so far recorded in its implementation.

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    Ms Adeosun also commended the continuous support provided by AFD and the EU which she said had enabled a smooth implementation of the project. The Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, noted that considering that power is a fundamental and key aspect of the EU’s involvement in Nigeria, “it is very good to see the progress made by NAPTIN on strengthening the offer on vocational training, which is part of a bigger and wider ambition of the EU Delegation to make a difference in the life of young Nigerian girls and boys.” As AFD is specifically providing financing for the construction works, the Country Director was pleased to visit the far-advanced development at the headquarters site showcasing workshops and student and hostels mentioning that “it was very nice to be able to walk around state of the art buildings and see the amazing progress done in the past few months.” More specifically, the fact that the buildings takes into account gender inclusion and access to people with disabilities is key and in line with AFD’s requirements to make sure that every Nigerian could be trained by NAPTIN.

     NAPTIN is set to inaugurate the new development at its new headquarters before the end of 2024.

  • AFD, NBA Africa unveil refurbished b’court in Lagos

    AFD, NBA Africa unveil refurbished b’court in Lagos

    • By Taofeek Babalola

    The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann said the refurbished  basketball court at the Campos Stadium in Lagos was aimed to promote youth empowerment and skill development through sport.

    The basketball court was renovated by NBA Africa and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) as part of their Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience program in Lagos.

    The refurbishment project, which commenced in June in collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission, will benefit youth from Lagos and surrounding communities by providing them with more opportunities to learn and play the game of basketball.

    Apart from the French Ambassador to Nigeria, the Consul General of France in Lagos, Laurent Favier; AFD Director for Nigeria, Xavier Muron; NBA Africa VP and Country Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu; 2003 WNBA Champion, Astou Ndiaye; and Dream Sports Africa Founder & CEO, Chenfa Dombin were also part of landmark ceremony.

    Following the court unveiling, NBA Africa & AFD hosted a Jr. NBA clinic for 70 boys and girls to celebrate the newly refurbished court.

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    Speaking at the unveiling, Blatmann said: “Today marks a significant milestone in our collaboration with Nigeria, as we inaugurate this basketball court.  Sports have the power to unite people, and this project exemplifies the strong ties between France, AFD, and Nigeria in promoting youth empowerment and skill development through sport. I am convinced that having this dedicated sharing space will enable young girls and boys to become change makers in their local communities.”

    In the same vein, AFD Director for Nigeria, Xavier Muron said the new facility will give greater impact to the deployment of education through sports activities in schools.

    He said: “We are thrilled to witness the opening of Lagos’ first basketball court as part of the Basketball Experience program, made possible through our joint efforts with the NBA and Lagos State Sports Commission to promote social inclusion, sustainable development and gender equality.  This new facility will give even greater impact to the deployment of education through sports activities in schools, by providing young people with a space in which to practice and realize their full potential.”

    Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience program is part of AFD and NBA Africa’s larger collaboration to support youth development through basketball across the continent and builds on the inaugural Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience launched in Zenata, Morocco in 2019.

    In November 2021, AFD and NBA Africa initiated a pilot phase in Lagos implemented by international non-governmental organisation Dream Sports Africa.  To date, the programme has reached more than 34,000 boys and girls ages 12-17 from 55 public and private schools in Lagos State.