World Bank Finances Ecosystem Projects in Nigeria

World Bank finances ecosystem projects in Nigeria

LAGOS, May 22 (Xinhua) — The World Bank has approved a 10- million-dollar grant to facilitate the implementation of the Joint Critical Ecosystem Management projects in six states of Nigeria, official said on Tuesday.

Alhaji Usman Ibrahim, Nigeria’s northern Bauchi State Coordinator of Fadama projects, said that the amount would be provided under the Fadama II Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects initiated by the bank.

The projects were part of World Bank’s drive to preserve and enhance the utilization of wetland resources, he said.

It was also aimed at checking environmental degradation, erosion, protecting ecosystem and providing alternative livelihood to wetland communities, he added.

Ibrahim listed the benefiting states, including Bauchi, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Ogun and Imo, explaining that benefiting communities would be drawn from within three-kilometer radius of watersheds in each of the six selected states.

“Watershed areas are those threatened by excessive utilization that could result in extinction and environmental degradation,” he added.

The coordinator said the project would provide funds to community- based groups to promote environmental, land management and soil conservation.

He said fishermen, cattle breeders and farmers would also be assisted under the program to reduce over-dependence on the wetland resources in such areas.

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