MARCH 23 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE -- WORLD BANK

UNCLAS ABUJA 000658 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP USDA ALSO FOR APHIS USAID REGIONAL HUB OFFICE ACCRA CHERYL FRENCH APHIS DAKAR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI AVIANFLU SUBJECT: MARCH 23 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE -- WORLD BANK REF: ABUJA 656 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The DCM and World Bank officials on March 22 discussed the GON's sluggishness in employing already provided foreign assistance against AI. The Bank officials said their main concerns are the need to vaccinate birds and compensate poultry farmers. The GON discussed with the Bank the possibility of Nigeria's beginning bird vaccinations. The Bank officials said to avoid corruption in compensation, most of this assistance should take the form of community- assistance projects. The Bank's representative said there was no shortage of AI money for Nigeria but that the GON was not able to use it. End summary. World Bank concerns on GON's nonuse of assistance -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and Economic Officer met March 22 with Hafez Ghanem, the World Bank's representative in Nigeria, and Simeon Ehui, the bank's lead economist for Nigeria. They discussed the Government of Nigeria's (GON) sluggishness in employing already provided foreign assistance against the avian influenza (AI) -- including Nigeria's still-untapped USD 12.2 million line of credit with the World Bank. ¶3. (SBU) The DCM detailed the U.S. Mission's continuing coordination with foreign donors on AI assistance and strategy, including regular meetings at the UN Development Program in Abuja. He said although the GON had a plan for combating AI, Nigeria had not been very effective in implementing it. Ghanem said he met with USAID/Nigeria on March 20 to ensure there was no duplication in anti-AI purchases or equipment provided to Nigeria, and to discuss the untapped line of credit. ¶4. (SBU) Ghanem said Nigeria's livestock and agricultural officials were working poorly together, and that the World Bank's two main concerns are the need to vaccinate birds and compensate poultry farmers. Ehui said that during talks with the GON on an anti-AI "work plan" the Bank would finance, Nigerian officials discussed the possibility of beginning bird vaccinations. Nigeria might do so at commercial poultry farms or might use ring vaccinations in "hot areas." ¶5. (SBU) The World Bank officials discussed compensation and what form this should take. They expressed serious concern over compensation's potential for corruption and said the Bank instead might push a combination of cash and community- assistance projects, or "community-driven development," in the work plan. The development projects should be administered by the states, local government areas, and non- government organizations. ¶6. (SBU) The Bank officials said they are seeking a meeting by March 24 with senior GON figures on the issues of bird inoculations and compensation to poultry farmers. Ghanem said the USG and UN agencies must push and assist the GON to combat AI effectively. He declared the World Bank and donors would not have difficulty coming up with funds for Nigeria -- but that the problem rather is the GON's inability to use this money. CAMPBELL