By Dele Ogbodo
The National Project Coordinator, Nigeria Climate Adaptation Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, has reaffirmed the Project’s commitment towards environmental restoration and resilience for Nigeria’s sustainable development.
In a meeting held over the weekend with the representatives of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Abuja, he stated that the project has only two components which are: Erosion and Watershed Infrastructural Investment and Project Management.
According to him, this is primed to give technical assistance where necessary to ensure effective project delivery in order to achieve the desired project development objective.
Communication Specialist at NEWMAP-EIB, Madina Gertrude, in a statement made available to the media, said at the crucial meeting that Engr. Anda, acknowledged that the project intends to approach implementation using global best practice watershed management approach, which is acclaimed to be a holistic approach.
The National Project Coordinator, said: “Tackling the issue of erosion, focusing on mitigation, flooding and land degradation will tackle the problem at the onset, it will also be cheaper and cost effective.”
On providing updates on the project, he added that the project will deal with environmental restoration aimed at restoring the environment even as he added that it
Will develop the resilience of the environment with regards to the impact of climate change.
“It will be a project that will involve stakeholders and community engagement, strengthening the communities’ resilience, support livelihoods initiatives for sustainability of infrastructural investments.” he said.
Anda, further reiterates that when the people are in the centre arm are also on the driving seat of the ordeal, they will also learn lessons on how to continuously tackle issues of land degradation and as a result of that, whatever is being put in place will be sustained by teaching them simple maintenance tips.
He commended the United Nations Office for Project Services for deeming it fit to come to Nigeria to brief the FPMU of the ongoing restructuring in UNOPS.
He also expressed optimism that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government of Nigeria and UNOPS will be signed in no distant time. This will result in declaring the project disbursement effective.
The Head of Operations in Dakar, Senegal, Mr. Houcen Agrebe, stated that their mission in Nigeria was to brief the FPMU of the changes that have taken place within the UNOPS especially within the management structure of UNOPS within the African Continent.
He disclosed that it is a restructuring for efficiency within the UNOPS.
The outgoing Director/Representative of UNOPS, Ghana Multi- Country Office, Ms. Ifeoma Monwuba, will be replaced by Sylvia Gario as the incoming Director.
He also mentioned that these changes are only in the senior leadership positions and specific in Africa, adding that the office which formerly was located in Ghana covered only Anglophone countries but now it has been expanded to cover the Francophone countries.
He further added that there is no change in the agreement deal. The Nigeria office will be interfacing with the UNOPS office in Dakar, Senegal and that he will be supervising the implementation of the project once the service level agreement is signed as well as the project manager, based in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by National Project Coordinator NEWMAP-EIB, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, Houcen Agrebe (Head of Operations UNOPS) Hazel Natukunda (Project Manager Abuja Office) and all FPMU Specialists Staff.
