Gombe Signs Record N12b Contract For Erosion Control
Gombe State government has signed N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Limited for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.
At the ceremony, Yahaya said that the project was one of the biggest capital projects in the state’s history.
He described the project as a vital step towards restoring agricultural and environmental landscapes ravaged by gully erosion and environmental degradation in the state.
“Gombe is regarded as the erosion capital of the North East. Over the decades, we have witnessed the devastating impact of gully erosion, threatening to agriculture lands, displacing communities, and endangering the future of our environment.
“The signing of this contract for control of gully erosion, which traverses London-Maidorowa, Mallam-Inna Wuro-Ladde, Wuro-Kesa, Arawa and Kagarawal, marks our unwavering commitment to preserve and safeguard the environment and livelihoods of the people.”
The governor said there were over 200 active erosion sites in the state, adding that no fewer than 400,000 people lived along the gully corridors in the state; living in constant fear of their lives and property.
“About 85 per cent of those people are poor, and therefore lack the wherewithal to withstand or militate against such devastating environmental menace,” he said.
Yahaya commended the World Bank and the Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACRESAL) project team for their support and pledged to leverage any available opportunities to restore the environment, enhance productivity and improve the livelihoods of the people.
The Commissioner for Water, Environment and Forest Resources, Mohammed Fawu, commended Yahaya’s commitment to restoring the environment.
Fawu said the state government paid over N500 million counterpart fund and met all necessary requirements for the project.
The commissioner said through the ACRESAL project, the state was able to recover about 31,000 hectares of degraded lands and planted over 9700 trees in strategic locations in the state.
Managing Director of Triacta, Mr Elie Farhat, commended the state government’s commitment, while assuring on quality work that would help improve the lives and livelihoods of the affected communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria.
