Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji - a geologist turned social entrepreneur
October 6, 2008 by 
OCI
Involve Now is intended to showcase the activities of NGOs, social entrepreneurs, activists and all community organisers that are contributing in no small measures toward helping Nigeria find the way.
In this showcase, we bring to you Mr Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji, a geologist turned social entrepreneurs.
Who is Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji?
Joachim Ezeji is the Chief Executive Officer of Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP) which he founded in 2000 as an intervention NGO with the aim to improve access to clean drinking water in remote rural communities in Nigeria where access to clean water is severely constrained, particularly those that have been ravaged by oil and gas exploration activities.
Joachim has a background of community development and volunteerism in rural Nigeria where he lives. He is a committed and enthusiastic water and environmental management professional, who enjoys being part of, as well as working with successful teams. He is always quick to grasp new ideas and concepts; and to develop creative solutions to problems.
He works well on his own initiative and can demonstrate the high levels of motivation required to meet the tightest of deadlines. He also retains the strong ability to perform effectively even when under significant pressure.
His current work responsibilities include but not limited to the following:
• Working as a team leader in multi-stakeholder Community groups.
• Initiating participatory baseline studies and implementing hardware and software solutions accordingly.
• Working with and training Team members on the use of Participatory tools
• Environmental education and policy analysis.
• Coordinating closely with Project Partners and actively soliciting new partnerships.
• Implementing and nurturing existing Projects and meeting critical set deadlines.
• Consulting for Urban Water Utilities on Demand Management and Gender issues.
• Designing and developing community Water infrastructure.
• Initiating community Water Quality Monitoring Programs. Etc.
Joachim had earlier trained as a geologist in Nigeria and later earned a Master of Science degree in Water and Environmental Management from the Loughborough University, United Kingdom. He is currently a member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) UK and the Society Exploration Geophysicist (SEG) USA.
Awards:
Joachim has won the following awards and recognitions;
Special Invitation from the Right Hon. Clare Short M.P, the Secretary of State for International Development UK, to a Reception to mark the publication of “Making connections: infrastructure for Poverty Reduction” in London, 2002.
The African Development Bank (ADB) 40th Anniversary Innovative Project Competition first prize award, Sept. 2004.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), WASH Media Awards, 2004.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria National Award Nominee, July 2005.
The World Bank, Development Marketplace Peoples’ choice, ‘Most Creative Idea Award’, May 2005.
The World Bank, Development Marketplace Project Grant Award, 2006.
The Business In Development (BID) Challenge Award, Amsterdam 2006.
The Tech Museum of Innovation Award (Environment) San Jose, CA USA 2006.
Environmental issues/challenges:
The three most important environmental issues/challenges the nominee is currently tackling at the grass root level in the Niger Delta states of Nigeria are;
• Industrial pollution,
• High population density and
• Poorly managed on-site sanitation systems and open defecation etc.
These challenges combined with erosion menace are still ravaging oil producing communities of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria where he works. Many local studies indicate serious public health threats of all these issues to drinking water sources in the Niger delta area. This is particularly true for local streams/rivers as well as ground water resources where high hydraulic loading, greater than 50mm per day often overcomes barriers posed by vertical separation or soil media.
These challenges are critical because the region is a coastal area with a very sensitive ecosystem. While unmitigated industrial pollutions contaminates water sources with heavy metals and unstable pH levels, the high population density and poor sanitation system/practices expands microbiological contamination of the water sources as well as creating odor and making the environment less aesthetic. The rapidly eroding land surfaces silts streams and gives rise to high levels of turbidity.
Strategy and Approach:
Relevant skills being exerted by the nominee and his team to tackle these issues includes those related to environmental education, context investigation, community mobilization and engagement as well as basic know how on technical mitigation steps e.g. those applicable to water source protection/catchment management and safe disposal of excreta/sewage etc. that could easily be shared with or transferred to the community.
Joachim has a conviction that is underpinned by the fact that Africa’s development must be championed by Africans themselves. Also his grass root experiences while working as a trainee hydro-geologist/ water scheme operator responsible for 14 rural communities water schemes in 1998-2000 for a Shell Petroleum Development Company in South eastern Nigeria further enabled the vision.
To give life to this vision Joachim has through personal effort successfully mobilized funds through competitive processes such as the World Bank Development Marketplace competition, the African Development Bank innovative project contest and the Business in Development Challenge Competition with which he has put in place these projects.
Other major stakeholders in the project are Nuel Mark & Partners, communities and private households in project areas. Others include the African Development Bank (which funded the project in 2004); The World Bank (being the funding agency 2006-2008) and community groups, especially the women who were engaged in the promotion and distribution of the filters etc.
The Engineers for a Sustainable World, University of Buffalo chapter, New York USA has also served as the project’s secondary partners though on voluntary basis. They are assisting as volunteers, researching appropriate design and promotion strategies for the filter. It was them that also designed and developed the project website: MOR-Sand Filter
Joachim’s activities are exemplary because they offer enormous potentials for meeting the Millennium Development Goals target for clean water and sanitation in Nigeria as well as the scaling-up and replication of the project in other distressed regions of Nigeria and elsewhere.
Outcomes:
RAWDP’s nominee’s low-cost filter technology particularly, is an innovation which is changing the way in which resources are being used to solve problems, and creating sustainable systems in at least 7 local communities spread across the Niger Delta.
The communities include;
1 Aggar community in Egbema in ONELGA Local government area of Rivers state.
2 Obeabor community in Izombe in Oguta LGA of Imo State.
3 Ipu West community in Owaza in Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.
4 Assan Akpa Utong community in Esit Eket LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
5 Onicha Ukwani in Ndokwa West LGA of Delta state.
6 Igbokoda community in Iladje LGA of Ondo State.
7 Elebele in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State. Etc.
Joachim’s works speak for itself in these communities. He deserves to be recognized in a forum such as Involve Now in order to at least bring his entrepreneurial social intervention to a more serious attention.
We also have an exclusive interview with the social entrepreneur which will be published here on Which Way NIGERIA soon. Watch the INTERVIEWS space.
Mr Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji can be reached HERE
| 3.7 (11 people) |
on behalf on Human Orientation Movement for Environment (HOME), I say, Bravo Joachim. I am impressed by great achievements.
That you are a geologists is your own aspiration but a social entrepreneur (humanitarian or development worker is God’s desire.
Once again, congrats and keep it up.
am impressed by your ambitions and acheievments more grease to your elbow,its good to be versatile i wish to be more than you,may be we can chat here is my mobile phone no 07030553032.
have nice days ahead.
Hello Joachim, as you see above I am also an Ibeziako. I like everything their is to know about family, so sometimes I end up looking for my family all over the world, and you’d be surprised by what I’ve found out there. You have made a legacy with in the Ibeziako name, congratulations. And I just want you to know that I’m only 14 years old:)