Cablegate: China Provides Water Resource Development

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ABUJA 002051

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SENV EAID CH NI
SUBJECT: CHINA PROVIDES WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE TO NIGERIA
1. The Chinese government is to provide 598 boreholes in 18
states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The leader
of a team of Chinese engineers, Mr. Dai Genbao, said that
his team is currently conducting reconnaissance in the

states as a prelude to the commencement of the water
project. The project came about following a recent visit to
China by the Nigerian Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji
Muktari Shagari. Shagari, who is prone to exaggeration,
said 60 percent of Nigeria's population currently has access
to potable water, but the GON is committed to increasing
that to 80 percent by 2007.

2. The boreholes are to be located in Benue, Kogi, Niger,
Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Anambra, Imo,
Enugu, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Rivers
States. In the FCT, the boreholes will be located in Abaji,
Bwara, Gwagwalada, and Kuje.

3. Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) spends
from 5000 to 20000 USD per borehole it commissions as part
of its Humanitarian Action projects. Assuming the costs to
the Chinese project will be similar, the value of this aid
ranges from 3 to 12 million USD. By way of comparison, ODC
has a proposal to fund for 20-30 boreholes and the
Ambassadors' Special Self-Help program is funding an
additional 20.

4. Comment: This project, another in a series of steps to
strengthen Nigerian-Chinese relations, has the potential to
build a significant amount of goodwill among the Nigerian
populace toward China. Multiple contacts from within the
GON and international donor community have commented that
while much American aid comes with preconditions, such as
respect for human rights, the Chinese attach no such strings
to their assistance. End comment.

CAMPBELL

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