The Edo State Government says it will commence intervention works to tackle flooding, gully erosion and watershed degradation as the dry season begins.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Edo State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (Edo FEWMA), Hon. Mohammed Bawa Okoyomoh, disclosed this at a capacity-building workshop for participating states in the Nigeria Climate Adaptation–Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB) in Kano State.
Okoyomoh, who is also the Edo State Team Lead and Project Coordinator for NEWMAP-EIB, said the interventions would focus on vulnerable communities affected by environmental degradation.
He said Edo’s experience with previous NEWMAP interventions had strengthened the capacity of its project implementation team to deliver effectively under the current programme.
“Given the vantage performance put up by the State in an earlier NEWMAP intervention, the State project staff under my watch are more than ready to maintain our position as the topmost performing state amongst our peers,” he said.
The workshop, organised by the Federal Government, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Federal Project Management Unit and State Project Implementation Units, brought together representatives from 23 participating states.
The National Project Coordinator of NEWMAP-EIB, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, urged participants to translate the knowledge gained into practical results, stressing that the project’s success would ultimately be measured by its impact on communities.
UNOPS Programme Manager, Mr. Donato Serena, also urged participants to apply the skills acquired and strengthen collaboration among participating states.
Okoyomoh assured residents of environmentally vulnerable areas that the government remained committed to measures that would improve environmental safety and protect communities from flooding and erosion.
