Edo State Launches Six-Month Work Plan for €175 Million EIB-Funded Climate Adaptation Project

Muwaffaq Yahaya Adadu

1 year ago

NAGGW to Distribute Over Five Million Date Palm Seedlings as 2025 Planting Season Begins in July Muwaffaq Yahaya Adadu The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) will commence its 2025 planting season in July with the nationwide distribution of more than five million date palm seedlings. This was disclosed by the Director-General of NAGGW, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, during a courtesy visit to the Kano State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahir Hashim, on Friday, May 23, 2025. Abubakar called for the support of the Kano State Government in identifying and allocating plantation sites to facilitate smooth implementation of the agency’s agroforestry initiatives. “We have raised over five million seedlings, and a significant number are earmarked for Kano State,” he stated. Although NAGGW operates from Abuja, Abubakar noted that Kano functions as the agency’s operational base due to the presence of the Afforestation Project Coordinating Unit. He confirmed that plantation sites had already been identified in Gabasawa and Makoda Local Government Areas. These sites are intended to support environmental recovery efforts and improve rural livelihoods through agroforestry. However, Abubakar expressed concern over incidents of vandalism and encroachment at the Gabasawa site, which was originally allocated by the state government. He said that despite sending several letters to relevant authorities, the issues remain unresolved. “This visit follows up on those letters. If the land is no longer viable, we request an alternative site,” he said, emphasizing the need to protect plantation areas to avoid setbacks. Abubakar urged continued dialogue with the state government to address these challenges through mutual understanding, reaffirming NAGGW’s commitment to collaborative environmental restoration efforts. In response, Commissioner Dahir Hashim reiterated Kano State’s dedication to partnering with federal agencies to combat desert encroachment. He revealed that the state government had reclaimed over 37,000 hectares of degraded land as part of its land restoration and desertification control initiatives. Hashim also underscored the importance of community involvement and announced the recruitment of additional forest guards to enhance the security of plantation sites. Abdulhamid Bala, Acting State Project Coordinator of Kano-AcReSAL, pointed to unpaid forest guards as a major factor contributing to site vandalism. He added that delayed planting had led to encroachment by local farmers on designated restoration areas. Bala called for the timely release of funds to ensure effective and uninterrupted implementation of restoration projects across the state.

The Edo State Government has formally launched a six-month implementation plan for the Nigeria Climate Adaptation, Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP EIB), which is funded by the European Investment Bank with a total allocation of €175 million.

At the inaugural steering and technical committee meeting held in Benin City, Mr. Ahmed Momoh, the State Coordinator of the project and Chief Executive Officer of the Edo Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency, said the initiative is designed to address gully erosion, land degradation and climate-related vulnerabilities throughout the state.

The project forms part of a larger climate adaptation programme that spans 23 states across Nigeria. According to Mr. Momoh, only 10 percent of the EIB funding will be made available during the initial phase. Access to this funding will depend on the ability of participating states to meet specific administrative and logistical requirements.

He confirmed that Edo State has already released N500 million as counterpart funding to support the project’s launch. He also stressed the importance of timely preparation.

Preparedness is key. Without timely disbursement of counterpart funding and proper logistics in place, we risk missing critical targets,” he stated.

Mr. Jude Ebodaghe Ekpu, who chairs the steering committee and serves as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, called for prudent management of resources and a focus on achieving measurable results.

“This project must yield outcomes that fully justify the investment. Our objective is to position Edo State as a benchmark for climate adaptation across Nigeria,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Emmanuel Ekomoezor, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, presented a comprehensive six-month roadmap. The plan outlines clear timelines, performance indicators and strategies for monitoring the project’s impact.

The NEWMAP EIB project is a continuation of the earlier erosion control programme supported by the World Bank. This new phase aims to deepen and scale interventions through enhanced institutional coordination and community-led solutions.