NEWMAP-EIB team visits Ekiti, commends Oyebanji’s N1.1bn provision for erosion control

The European Investment Bank-assisted Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB) has visited communities and areas ravaged by erosion in Ekiti State, with a promise that work will soon commence in the affected locations.

The NEWMAP-EIB project aims to reduce the vulnerability of Nigeria’s population to soil erosion and associated land degradation.

The NEWMAP National Project Coordinator, Engineer Anda Ayuba Yalak, led a delegation from Abuja and the Ekiti State team to commence a site assessment of the affected areas on Wednesday and Thursday.

The team visited Ibete Oni River and Owode Phase 2 in Efon Alaaye, where two communities were cut off due to a failed bridge connecting them.

In Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the team also visited Olorunda and Olorunsogo communities, Ori Apata Street in Adebayo, and Temidire Street in Dallimore.

Speaking with newsmen, the NEWMAP Project Coordinator, who expressed satisfaction with the assessment, appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring them that work would begin soon in the affected areas.

Yalak, while lamenting the hardship residents face due to the erosion damage, assured them that every effort would be made to ensure a healthy and safe environment.

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He said, “This is a life-threatening situation, and we have spoken with representatives of the communities. We share in their grief, as reports indicate that lives and properties have been lost.

“Also, major roads have been cut off from the communities, forcing residents to take longer routes because the makeshift bridge is not safe.”

He commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for increasing the earmarked counterpart fund from N500 million to over N1.1 billion in the 2025 budget, which he described as a testament to the governor’s commitment to the safety and well-being of the people.

“The governor has demonstrated his love and care by coming to the aid of his people, and we will also fulfill our responsibilities to ensure this project kicks off as soon as possible. We have confirmed the situation, and we will fast-track the process so that this menace can be put to rest,” he added.

The National Coordinator explained that a long-term solution would be adopted in the affected areas, considering the geographical location of the state, which makes it prone to flooding due to the high volume of rainfall.

He urged residents to imbibe a culture of maintaining infrastructure and taking ownership once completed, to ensure sustainability.

On his part, the Ekiti State NEWMAP Project Coordinator, Dr. Akinyemi Akinyugha, said the state government’s efforts in identifying the affected sites are key to addressing soil erosion and improving stormwater control in communities across the state.

He stated that the agency has been able to address issues related to soil erosion, gully erosion, failed culverts, and collapsed bridges, which he said are part of the pillars of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.

Akinyugha said, “The governor is committed to improving drainage infrastructure in our state and ensuring better access to communities by properly channeling water, so there is no loss of lives or properties during torrential rains.

“Succor is coming soon to the affected areas, and I want to assure our people to remain patient, as this menace will soon be a thing of the past.”

Some residents of the affected communities commended the visit of the NEWMAP team and appealed for the quick completion of the projects, saying, “The failed culverts are making life unbearable for us.”