Water Ministry captures 40.8m Nigerians on climate change mitigation committee

Forty million, eight hundred thousand Nigerians have been captured in a 6-year programme to mitigate the impact of climate change around the various River Basins in Nigeria.

Minister of Water Resources Engr. Suleiman Adamu inaugurated a 10-man “National Steering Committee of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/NB).

He said the committee was being inaugurated two years later due to the global pandemic of Covid 19 but emphasised that the task of the steering committee was important to the area, covered, and the federal government has confidence in the team to execute the task.

He noted that the project was extended to Nigeria as part of the Niger Basin Authority captured in the Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali following the successes recorded in this climes.

The extension to Nigeria would have the projects cover four Geo-political Zones namely, North West, North East, North Central and South East) would serve the people of the River Basins State.

Adamu who inaugurated a 10-Man committee led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack with Engr. Baba Yusuf as secretary are mandated to overseas the implementation of the programme in Nigeria, tasked the committee to build resilience of eco-system and natural resources.

According to the Minister, the success of the programme in other climes inspired the extension of the project to Nigeria a member of the Niger Basin.

“Inauguration of the National Steering Committee of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/NB) Nigeria component, being facilitated by the Niger Basin Authority.

“PIDACC/NB is the second phase of the Niger Basin’s Silt and Erosion Control Program, which was funded by the African Development Fund (ADF) and was successfully executed by the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from 2005 to 2011.

“In view of the benefits obtained by the beneficiary States, the NBA initiated the second phase of the Regional Programme popularly known as “PIDACC/NB” with the financial support of African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environmental Facilities (GEF), not only to consolidate on the achievement of the programme but to extend it to the other member countries of the NBA.

“This include; Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.

Adamu noted that the decision to inaugurate the Committee was a sequel to the fulfilment of the Federal Government’s obligation on the financing arrangement and subsequent signing of the Financing Agreement for the Implementation of PIDACC/NB in Nigeria with African Development Fund.

Adamu said his office also approved for the composition of the committee with the sole aim of strengthening the implementation and achievement of the programme objectives.

He maintained that in implementing the project its mandate to build resilience of ecosystems and natural resources; building resilience of populations and ensure Program coordination and management in Nigeria was critical.

According to the Minister, Nigerians who would benefit from the projects are the small holder farmers and vulnerable groups in Upper Benue: Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi Katsina and Taraba. Others, Niger, FCT Abuja, Kaduna and, Anambra-Imo: Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi.

Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry, Didi Walson-Jack said the project would elevate the President Mohammadu Buhari’s agenda in improving the macro economics of Nigeria,n particularly in that area.

She pointed out that the non-signature of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Financing Agreement would immediately be looked into by the committee as it engages the federal government and the Green Climate Fund.

Her words: “The inauguration and meeting of the Committee will give opportunity to consult between the Bank and Nigerian Government, with a view to finding adequate solutions to the problems facing the Project implementation to nullify the challenges for the well-being of the citizens.

She noted that the implementation of the project would lead to “stabilising the macro-economy and enhancing social inclusion and the reduction of poverty in Nigeria

It would also in her view lead to “achieving agriculture and food security; while driving industrialization; and improving the health, education, and productivity of Nigerians.”