Nigerian wetlands needs USD 27.7 million to check flooding, environmental degradation

Vanguard (Nigeria): Over N3.7 billion naira [about USD 27.7 million] will be needed for the control excess flooding, channel desiccation and other forms of environmental degradation affecting communities of Komadugu Yobe Basin Wetlands between 2009 and 2010, the chairman of the Concerned Wetlands Local Government chairmen forum of KYB-WDI, Alhaji Abba Mohammed Baguru has said.

Said he "We already have a budget of over N3.7billion for the execution of projects in the wetlands for 2009 to 2010, which we hope to be finance by the Federal Government and international donor agencies with the aim of restoring normal live to the populance of the wetlands area", he added.

Alhaji Baguru disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Komadugu Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative (KYB-WDI) and the Wetlands Local government forum to co-fund the operations of KYB-WDI through monthly contributions of N50,000 per local government.

The chairman of the concern Wetlands Local government chairmen forum of KYB-WDI explained that the affected 20 local government councils which are located within the wetlands area in Jigawa, Yobe and Bauchi states signed the MOU to sustain the activities of the forum...

Locator map indicated the Yobe state in Nigeria