Kebbi State Government has awarded a contract for the revival of a 22-year abandoned mega erosion control project at Badariya/Malala areas in the capital, Birnin Kebbi.
The Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Musa Muhammad Tungulawa announced this at a news briefing in Birnin Kebbi, explaining further that the Contractor had mobilised to site preparatory to flag off of work by Governor Idris.
“Kebbi State Government has since set up a committee to take inventory of houses and structures to give way for the project, while another committee is also in place for the payment of compensation to affected persons”, the Commissioner explained.
Tungulawa added that an estimated 50,000 people would benefit from the erosion control that included households exposed to flooding and erosion, farmers and other land-dependant residents, businesses and community members whose livelihood depends on the affected areas.
He noted that: “The project is a vital government effort to protect communities, save lives, restore degraded lands, reclaim lost productive areas and safeguard the livelihood of our people. For years, the people in the areas have endured consequences of gully erosion, flooding and degradation of their environment”.
The Commissioner noted that the situation had caused prolonged hardship, affected livelihoods, threatened homes and farmlands as well as exposed residents to serious environmental risks, revealing that on completion, the project would serve as water-control for livestock development and irrigation farming.
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