NEWMAP Attains 66% Completion, Disbursement Stands at $85m

The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has revealed that the ongoing projects across 21 sites in the first mover states have attained 66 per cent completion rate, while project disbursement is about $85 million.

NEWMAP task team leader, Dr. Amos Abu made this known at a recent dinner organised in Abuja.

Abu stated that the project which was approved by World Bank board in 2012 was meant to support the country in achieving greater environmental and economic security, while also reducing vulnerability to ravaging gully erosion in the targeted watershed.

The project, he noted, was specifically designed to support the country in addressing the age long yet worsening problem of land degradation.

“The projects began with eleven states , however, seven states including Anambra, Cross Rivers, Ebony, Edo, Enugu and Imo now referred to as the first mover states were objectively considered and selected,” he said.

According to him, “between January and now, the project disbursement stands about $85 million across the 21 sites. The project is on course, in some states that we visited to inspect the level of work done, the status of implementation is as high as 66 per cent.”

Abu added that in spite of the dwindling resources that state governments have been forthcoming with their counterpart funds, stressing that for states to have been turning up means that the project must be something unique.

In his remarks, the Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin said having listened to the team leader, he was optimistic that something positive was happening or about to happen.

He lamented that Nigeria was the only country that is being faced with a double problem as it relates to environment, stressing that there is problem of desertification in the north, while the south battles with erosion and oil spill.

Jibrin emphasised that, “whether we like it or not, environment is an issue, the European countries have seen a lot of harmful effects of it, and what it has caused in degradation, which explained why they are talking about it.

“No one will save the environment for us; no one will come from the moon to save us but ourselves. We are all part of the problem, so we must be part of the solution,” he added.

The minister stressed the need for the ministry to embark on sensitisation against some practices that are not included in the nation’s best interest.