By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Federal Government as part of its counterpart funding has provided N750m and an office space for the commencement of European Investment Bank (EIB) and NEWMAP project for tackling erosion and flood in Nigeria.
This is contained in a press release by Ibrahim Haruna, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit.
The press release said Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal disclosed this while declaring open a 2-day NEW MAP/EIB/UNOPS joint mission for the disbursement of funds to the participating States
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mahmud Adam Kambari reaffirmed that with the personalities in attendance, all issues delaying the commencement of EIB funding will be unbundled.
Lawal emphasised that the mission takes cognizance of the current rainy season window, to come up with low hanging fruit activities which will usher in implementation as the Government cannot wait any longer to kick start the project with the hope of giving relief to the people that were badly affected with erosion and flood nationwide.
Earlier, the NEWMAP National Project Coordinator, Mr. Andy Ayuba Yalak in his welcome remarks called on the participating States to adhere to the guidelines to facilitate the release of EIB funding.
Yalak further encouraged the Project Coordinators to makes provisions for their Counterpart funding, office space and utility vehicles inline with EIB requirements before the disbursement of funds.
It would be recalled that this project has 23 participating States across the country.
