Funding Stalls Federal Govt’s Implementation Of Coastal Areas’ Project

Six years after Nigeria expressed its interest to the World Bank on the West Africa Coastal Area Management (WACA) Programme in 2016, the country is yet to implement the project due to funding.

The minister of environment, Barrister Muhammed Abdullahi, stated this yesterday in Abuja at a one-day National Stakeholders Technical Committee Meeting on West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) management programme.

He said, “The Federal Ministry of Environment, having consulted with other stakeholders, requested in a letter to Federal Ministry of Finance on 20th June, 2018 for Project Preparatory Fund (PPF) of $4.2 million which is about two percent of the proposed cost of the WACA project. Unfortunately, the PPF is yet to be made available and as such, we have not been able to record any reasonable milestone in terms of project implementation.”

Represented by the director, Environmental Impact Assessment, Abbas Suleiman, the minister said the meeting was aimed at supporting the government’s drive in improving the livelihoods of coastal communities in the country.

He stressed that the programme will help the country obtain financing and expertise to sustainably manage her coastal areas, enhance industrial competitiveness, market access, innovation and investment promotion, adding that it will also promote productive employment for rural communities and entrepreneurship development, as well as sustainable energy and environmental management.

In his welcome address, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Engr Hassan Musa, said it is worrisome that the country is still not able to kick-start the full implementation of WACA even when the coastal communities are constantly being predisposed to various environmental hazards.

He, however, expressed optimism that the stakeholders meeting will provide the enabling environment for more positive contributions toward ensuring a successful implementation of WACA in the country.