Nig, EU Launch Nig Climate Adaptation Erosion And Watershed Project

The Federal Government in collaboration with the European Union have launched the Nigeria Climate Adaptation, Erosion and Watershed Project, NEWMAP-EIB.

At the event in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal said the project was to address challenges of climate change such as erosion, flooding, and watershed degradation in the country.

“Nigeria like many nations faces worsening climate disasters, gully erosion, and annual flooding continue to cause havoc and loss of lives, destruction of property as well as severe environmental degradation particularly across rural communities, urban centres and farmlands”.

“Today’s launch therefore signifies a clear testimony to the power of collaboration and shared vision, the support of the European Investment Bank in climate Finance has provided Nigeria with a vital lifeline for erosion control, flood management and watershed restoration “.

He explained that the Project was initially launched by the World bank twelve years ago, but after it was closed in twenty twenty two, the European Union decided to scale up its funding with one hundred and seventy five million euros.

Mr. Lawal who maintained that the programme would be implemented in twenty three states across the country urged stakeholders to intensify collaboration to address the effects of climate change.

“The EIB approved a facility of €175 million aimed at building upon and deepening the achievements recorded under NEWMAP-IDA using the strategic watershed management approach.

“The project became technically effective in 2023 and now disbursement effective in 2025. It is to be implemented over a period of 5 years across 23 states namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Nigeria, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto”.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Chairman Technical Committee of NEWMAP-EIB Engineer Anda Ayuba Yalaks said the initiative is a strategic extension of the longstanding efforts to address land degradation, strengthen institutional capacity and empower communities to adapt to the changing climate.

Engineer Yalaks commended the European Investment Bank for not only recognising the urgency of Nigeria’s environmental challenges but standing with Nigeria as she builds back smarter, greener and resilient cities.

The Head of the European Investment Bank, Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, Mr. Roger Stuart emphasised that the project would restore three thousand one hundred hectares of land and create twenty-five thousand jobs in the country.

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, represented by the Deputy Director of International Development Assistance, Mr. Alkali Mustapha Bello said the project had already received the first disbursement of seventeen point five million euros.

This he said would be implemented through four components, erosion and watershed management, institutional strengthening, climate change response, and project management.

Nkiru Njemanze, Edited By Grace Namiji