By Muhammad Nasir Bello
Sokoto – The Sokoto State Government said it offered over N1 billion as counterpart funding through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) for its projects in the state.
The Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Bello Sifawa, said this on Monday while declaring a five-day NEWMAP training programme open in Sokoto.
Sifawa said that the training had “Catchment Planning and Management” as its theme,noting that the project support by the government was reflected in the magnitude of counterpart contribution and number of intervention sites in the state.
The commissioner, also the state’s Steering Committee Chairman for NEWMAP, said
“as a priority, NEWMAP will rehabilitate some dams to help reduce poverty and improve livelihood of the people.
“The project will also carry out storm-water management works in some sites and restore some degraded lands.
“Government has tremendous confidence in World Bank in transforming the lives of the people through NEWMAP activities.
“We, therefore, offer over N1 billion as counterpart funding for the projects to
ensure their success.”
He assured the continued support and sectorial collaboration, as well as dialogue with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and community leaders in the state.
Sifawa urged participants to utilize the gesture in gaining experience from the training, visit Sokoto History and Culture Bureau and to have a feeling of how Sokoto Caliphate was more than 200 years ago.
The National Project Coordinator, Alhaji Salihu Dahiru, commended the state government for hosting the programme.
Participants at the training had delegates from Bayelsa, Adamawa, Kano, Kogi, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Delta, Gombe and Abuja.
Organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with World Bank, the training was to focus on watershed management across the country.
