The Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal has stated that the Ministry has provided the sum of N750m and an office space as its own Counterpart funding for the commencement of European Investment Bank (EIB) and NEWMAP project for tackling erosion and flood in Nigeria.
The Minister disclosed this while declaring open a 2-day NEW MAP/EIB/ UNOPS joint mission for the disbursement of funds to the participating States.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mahmud Adam Kambari reaffirmed that with the personalities in attendance, all issues delaying the commencement of EIB funding will be unbundled.
Lawal emphasised that the mission takes cognisance of the current rainy season window , to come up with low hanging fruit activities which will usher in implementation as the Government cannot wait any longer to kick start the project with the hope of giving relief to the people that were badly affected with erosion and flood nationwide.
Earlier, The NEWMAP National Project Coordinator, Mr. Andy Ayuba Yalak in his welcome remarks called on the participating States to adhere to the guidelines to facilitate the release of EIB funding.
Yalak further encouraged the Project Coordinators to makes provisions for their Counterpart funding, office space and utility vehicles inline with EIB requirements before the disbursement of funds.
It would be recalled that this project has 23 participating States across the country.
Ibrahim Haruna
Head, Press and Public Relations Unit
