Kano environment commissioner calls for cooperation of World Bank-NEWMAP project communities

Kano state commissioner for environment and chairman of the State Steering Committee (SSC) for the World Bank-funded Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project ((NEWMAP) Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, has enjoined the NEWMAP project communities to make good use of the “golden opportunity” presented to them by the intervention which is aimed at addressing the worsening land degradation and environmental insecurity in Nigeria. 

Dr Makoda, who was represented by Baba Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, his ministry’s permanent secretary, disclosed this recently at the rounding-up of a major community sensitization and awareness creation campaign across the nine priority communities of Kano state for the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (Kano-NEWMAP) at Dawan Kaya community, Makoda Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, organised by the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) of NEWMAP.

Also speaking at the event, Kano State Project Coordinator for NEWMAP, Musa Shua’abu said the objective of the sensitization campaign was to get the affected communities and the state in general acquainted with the project’s objectives as well as the strategies it would employ to ensure successful implementation.

Shuaibu emphasized the critically-important role of the members of the project communities as the central to the success of the project as well as the sustainability of its interventions; therefore, he called on the members of the project communities to accord all the necessary support to the efforts of the government and the World Bank towards improving their living condition including through livelihood support packages.

Shuaibu also revealed that the His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led Kano State Government had engaged the services of three competent consultancy firms to provide consultancy services for Kano NEWMAP in the areas of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Monitoring &Evaluation ((M&E) etc.

The 9 proposed project communities for NEWMAP in Kano State are Bulbula/Gayawa in Nassarawa LGA, Bachirawa/Tudun Fulani in Ungogo LGA,  Rarin in Dawakin Tofa as well as Kauyen Alu in Tarauni LGA. Others are Bariki/Kamanda in Kiru LGA, Dambazau/Fajewa in Takai LGA, Dawan Kaya in Makoda LGA, ‘Yar Titi in Shanono LGA as well as ‘Yan-Sabo in Tofa LGA of the State.