Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, (NEWMAP), Delta state project committee has requested the sum of N1.3 billion from the state government as part of her counterpart funding for the smooth takeoff of the European Investment Bank, (EIB) project in the state.
EIB, an international donor intervention organisation has taken over the structure of NEWMAP as it ends her first phase projects intervention in Nigeria states.
Delta State commissioner, Ministry of Environment/Chairman, State Steering Committee of Delta State NEWMAP, Chief Godspower Asiuwhu, at the quarterly meeting of the Steering Committee, in Asaba said the task before the Committee was urgent.
He said the taken over of the NEWMAP structure by the international donor organisation will rehabilitate uncompleted sites and also commence rehabilitation of new sites depending on readiness which necessitated the meeting.
According to him, the NEWMAP Project in the state has transformed into the EIB donor intervention project.
He said the recent technical mission of NEWMAP on the European Investment Bank at Abuja he attended with the state project coordinator, Mr. Benedict Nwaokocha, had revealed the readiness of the international donor organisation to partner with the erosion intervention project in Delta and other states in the country.
He said one of the steps he took on resumption of office was to acquaint himself with NEWMAP through the handover notes, visitation to the NEWMAP Office in Asaba and three rehabilitated sites at Midoma/Iwerebor rehabilitated erosion site in Owanta, Ika North-East; Nkwu-Nzu rehabilitated erosion site in Nkwu-Nzu, and Obomkpa rehabilitated erosion site in Obomkpa, Aniocha North local government area, respectively.
While saying the Project has done well in her first phase of intervention, Chief Asiuwhu called for team work and cooperation for successful project execution and future relationship.
The state project coordinator of Delta State NEWMAP, Mr. Benedict Nwaokocha, presented a review of the project in slides through the Project Implementation Completion Report (ICR) from the inception of the project in the state that commenced on 7th May, 2016 and ended on 30th June, 2022.
Nwaokocha listed some of the achievements of the project within six years of intervention in the state to include: Rehabilitation of Midoma/Iwerebor Erosion Site, Owanta,Ika North East; Rehabilitation of Nkwu-Nzu Erosion Site, Nkwu-Nzu and Obomkpa Erosion Site, Obomkpa in Aniocha North Local Government Area, respectively.
Others are provision of solar powered electrification/borehole projects at six Jesse communities in Ethiope West; Obomkpa, Nkwu-Nzu in Aniocha North and Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area, as well as the provision of Environmental Club Manual for Schools in Delta State and provision of ICT training and starter packs for youths in Jesse communities.
The project coordinator presented detailed account of the EIB project before the committee, saying focus of the new project would be targeted to devastating gully erosion sites in the state that needed urgent intervention.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
