The Yobe State Environmental and Climate Change Action Project (ECCAP) has been granted a $50 million loan by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) in order to enhance food security and climate change resistance in northeastern Nigeria.
In a statement released by the bank on Tuesday, it was stated that the funding initiative’s goals are to improve livelihoods, address food security issues, and mitigate climate vulnerability for nearly 3.5 million people in the region.
The expected project funding for the ECCAP is $101.34 million. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) contributes $30 million in co-financing to match the $50 million investment from the AfDB.
In addition, the Yobe State Government provides $4.52 million in matching funds, and the project’s beneficiaries contribute an extra $16.82 million.
“To enhance climate change resilience, boost food security, and improve livelihoods for over 3.5 million people in northeast Nigeria, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved a $50 million loan for the Yobe State Environmental and Climate Change Action Project (ECCAP),” the statement stated.
“The estimated project cost is $101.34 million, with a $50 million loan from the African Development Bank and an anticipated $30 million co-financing contribution from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The project beneficiaries are contributing $16.82 million, and Yobe State Government will match that amount with $4.52 million.”
Yobe State’s unstable state, characterized by ongoing insurgency and community strife, has made its environmental and economic problems worse.
The goal of the ECCAP is vital because the state, whose 72% of the population lives below the poverty line, faces serious dangers from climate change. The project’s main goals are to empower women, fight desertification and droughts, and aid in the growth of MSMEs by offering them efficient cooking stoves and small ruminants, among other things.
The declaration further said: “Yobe’s already precarious environmental position has been made worse by decades of protracted intercommunal disputes, particularly between herder and agricultural groups, and violent insurgencies, which have caused the region to rapidly collapse economically. Yobe is the most climate change vulnerable state in Nigeria, with 72% of its people living below the poverty line.”
“Among other interventions, ECCAP will assist the federal and state governments in addressing the problems caused by droughts and desertification, as well as empowering women by delivering cooking stoves and small ruminants to foster the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, the study will help with the formulation of Yobe State’s gender policy.”
“The population will be encouraged to maintain 2 million regenerated trees on farms through the implementation of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme, which will also support payments for labor and related services to plant and maintain 20 million drought-resistant trees. This project is a supplement to ongoing and upcoming initiatives by the Bank and other Development Partners to address climate change and support better livelihoods in Yobe State.”
As part of its continuous commitment to Nigeria, the AfDB has undertaken 50 different projects totaling $4.6 billion, all of which are intended to advance sustainable development on the African continent and advance the Bank’s strategic goals.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, head of the AfDB, stated in the statement: “This initiative addresses food security, environmental degradation repair, and vulnerability in general as well as insecurity. It is quite detailed and practical. It all comes down to how we create robust livelihoods. This project demonstrates how we can accomplish that in a coordinated manner.”
