Cotonou hosts the 2022 session of the Regional Steering Committee for projects and programs of the Niger Basin Authority, August 29-31, 2022

Mr. Joël TOSSOU, Water Expert and Project Manager, represented the Sahara and Sahel Observatory in the 2022 session of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) for projects and programs of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), which is being held from August 29 to 31, 2022 in Cotonou (Republic of Benin).

Professor Emmanuel LAWIN, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Water and Mines of Benin and representing the Minister, chaired the opening session that was marked by the speeches of the Coordinator of the National Focal Structure (SFN) of Benin, the Representative of the German Cooperation (GIZ) in Benin and the Representative of the NBA Executive Secretary.

For the record, the Regional Steering Committee is the orientation, supervision and control entity for the implementation of the NBA projects and programs. The Committee meets every year in one of the nine member countries to go over the results of the current year's achievements, and to agree on the work plans and provisional budgets.

The RSC session comes before the Council of Ministers meets to take resolutions on the NBA projects and programs execution. This year’s Council is due on October 2022.

The meeting will give the opportunity to go through the results of the “Improving IWRM, Knowledge-based Management and Governance of the Niger Basin and the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System | NB-ITTAS” project that involves the OSS, the NBA and two other implementing agencies (UNIDO and UNESCO).