NIGERIA: "MUHAMMAD LAWAL SALISU, PARTICIPANT

UNCLAS ABUJA 000732 SIPDIS STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/G/A EBUTLER; ECA/PE/V/P SLOCKWOOD AND DTHOMPSON; AF/PD SKOP; AED JMOORE LAGOS FOR PAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO SCUL OEXC NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: "MUHAMMAD LAWAL SALISU, PARTICIPANT IN MRP "NGOS AND POVERTY REDUCTION" JANUARY 30- FEBRUARY 20, 2003, SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES WITH COLLEAGUES. Ref: A) Abuja e-mail (1/13/03) B) State 14797 C) State 127184 ¶1. Summary: MRP participant Muhammad Lawal Salisu returned to Nigeria extremely pleased with his program. He has already started sharing his U.S. experience with his Nigerian colleagues engaged in poverty reduction efforts. Following his visit to Heifer International and Watershed Human and Development Agency in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Salisu believes that there is a lot for Nigerian civil society groups to learn from the visit. He told Post that he has organized a fresher course for his colleagues in Kaduna to link up with some of the CVOs he met during his tour. He already has a list of contacts that he shared with his colleagues. ¶2. As the project coordinator for Even Development Projects, Kaduna, Mr. Salisu is hopeful that by exploring the Heifer initiative, he and his colleagues could improve the condition of many Nigerian families, particularly in the rural areas where poverty is not only endemic but also persistent due to uneven distribution of national wealth. He was astonished at the level of cooperation, understanding and commitment being demonstrated by groups in the U.S., and hopes to apply some of the ideas to the Nigerian situation. Date: January 30-February 20, 2003 ¶2. Fiscal Year: FY 003 Quarter: Second ¶3. Mr. Salisu is planning to carry out a poverty reduction project for rural communities similar to Heifer International's. He hopes to seek the support of Heifer International and the home government to fund a goat/sheep distribution program for families displaced by ethnic and communal clashes in parts of Northern Nigeria. JETER