The Federal Government has secured a €175 million facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to combat erosion and environmental degradation in 23 states across Nigeria.
The fund, which will finance the Nigeria Climate Adaptation–Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), was officially launched on Tuesday in Abuja by the Minister of Environment and Chairman of the Project Steering Committee, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal.
Lawal explained that the initiative builds on the achievements of the earlier Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP-IDA), implemented with World Bank support between 2013 and 2022. The new EIB-backed project, he noted, became disbursement-effective this year and will run for five years.
“The NEWMAP-EIB project aims to deepen the progress made under NEWMAP-IDA through strategic watershed management. It will address issues of soil erosion, land degradation, and flooding while also supporting livelihoods and institutional strengthening,” he said.
The project will be implemented in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States.
According to the Minister, the project is structured into two components: erosion and watershed management infrastructure investment, and project management. Its implementation framework mirrors the previous model, with federal and state-level steering and technical committees overseeing progress.
National Project Coordinator, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, said NEWMAP-EIB will provide technical assistance to strengthen resilience against climate change, flooding, and erosion, ensuring a lasting solution to environmental challenges.
