By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
Following Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s efforts geared towards reclaiming major parts of Anambra State lands ravaged by gully erosion, a team of experts from the European Investment Bank (EIB) assisted Nigeria Climate Adaptation Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), led by the National Project Coordinator, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, on Tuesday, 11th March 2025, visited some designated sites in the state to ascertain the level of the environmental degradation caused by the menace.
Some of the sites inspected include: Ndiagu Ikenga Ogidi Gully Erosion site, Nkpor Flyover Gully Erosion site, Ugamuma Obosi Gully Erosion site all in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State and Abagana Erosion site, in Njikoka Local Government Area.
Speaking during the inspection, National Project Coordinator, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks noted that they were in Anambra State on the instance of Mr. Governor to come and assess the state’s readiness to participate in the project or not, saying that they were certain things they needed to confirm to be sure that the state is actually ready, and one of it is the exercise they are doing at moment, adding that they needed to confirm whether the state has some selected sites, whether those sites are priority sites, and whether those sites met the conditions of the criteria to be enlisted as a site.
His words, 'You can see we have visited about five different sites, and all these sites can be said they are candidate sites. What is very much important about those sites is that they are uncompleted sites that have not been completed before now. They are ongoing sites. It is pertinent that anything that has started needed to be completed 100%. The lack of completion was not a deliberate attempt.
'The funding of this project was initially by the World Bank, and this is a project that closed as of 30th June 2022, and the resources for that have been exhausted. The government of Nigeria and with state government both at national and the sub-national understanding the gravity and negative impacts of those challenges with the regards to land degradation did not rest on their aors. They ensure that funding are being secured to continue what has been done before and to complete what has not been completed.
'It is also of importance to note that His Excellency Governor Chukwuma Soludo has the passion and the heart to ensure that these sites are completed and, as part of his campaign promises to the people of Anambra State and he has told them that he has come with hope and not only hope and that he is coming with Solution. I can see that part of the solution is while we are here.
'He is working to ensure that when the project kicks start, Anambra will not be left behind. He is very much aware of the success story that has been recorded under NEWMAP, and he is aware that whatever has been done before needs to scale up, and it is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
'He has a renewed hope for Nigerians to have a sustainable environment and an environment that is climate resilience, and at the end of the day, he wants to leave Nigerians with an environment that is climate smart. So this is a project that is the federal government's priority, and that is why the Anambra State government has also keyed in. This funding is coming from European Investment Bank (EIB) .
Yes , people will be calling World Bank because they are used to that. Going forward, the funding will be coming from EIB. It is going to deepen what has been recorded under the World Bank. We are continuing from where they stopped. The project objectives and strategic approach still remain the same,' the National Project Coordinator concluded
Mr . Anda assured that most qualified contractors would execute the projects, adding that there would be no room for unqualified contractors.
Corroborating the National Project Coordinator, the State's Project Coordinator, Professor Philip Ogbonnaya Phil-Eze, said the Federal government Management Unit released criteria to them to prioritized the ones that have not been completed under the World Bank, stating that a total of of 13 different sites have been completed in the state, acknowledging that it was of a very low percentage. He thanked Governor Soludo for paying the counterpart funding and for being proactive and concerned towards the plights of Ndi Anambra.
In their separate speeches, the Chairman of Ndiagu Ikenga Ogidi, Chief Chigozie Etuka, Mr. Obieze Ifeanyi, a victim whose house caved in at Ugamuma Obosi and Chief Okonkwo Nnamdi, Vice President General of Abagana, showered praises on Governor Chukwuma Soludo and NEWMAP-EIB for coming to their rescue, praying God to continue to bless and protect them.
