The Federal Government on Tuesday officially launched the European Investment Bank (EIB) Assisted Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), a major initiative designed to strengthen the country’s fight against erosion, flooding, and land degradation. The launch took place in Abuja, with the Minister of Environment and Chairman of the Steering Committee of NEWMAP-EIB, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, inaugurating the project as part of Nigeria’s climate resilience project efforts.
Lawal announced that the European Investment Bank had approved a facility of €175 million for the project, which will run for five years and cover twenty-three states. These include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto. He explained that the Federal Government has already released ₦750 million as the first tranche of counterpart funding to the Federal Project Management Unit, adding that the funds would support preparatory activities such as setting up offices, acquiring equipment, and other operations necessary for the project’s take-off.
He further revealed that participating states have also provided counterpart funds to their respective State Project Implementing Units, showing strong commitment to the success and sustainability of the climate resilience project. “Consequently, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Assisted Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB) is now disbursement-effective,” Lawal said.
The Minister recalled that the Federal Government, with World Bank support, had launched the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP-IDA) in 2010 under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. That project was aimed at soil remediation, food security, and controlling erosion. It began with seven states in 2013, expanded to 23 states, and officially closed in June 2022. “In 2020, the Federal Government secured additional financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to expand the scope of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP). The EIB approved a facility of €175 million aimed at building upon and deepening the achievements recorded under NEWMAP-IDA, using the Strategic Watershed Management approach,” he explained.
Lawal added that the new project became technically effective in 2023 and reached the disbursement-effective stage in 2025. He emphasized the importance of timely implementation in combating climate change, warning that Nigeria is increasingly facing climate-related disasters. “Gully erosion and annual flooding continue to cause havoc and loss of lives, destruction of property as well as severe environmental degradation, particularly across rural communities, urban centres, and farmlands,” he said.
He stressed that the success of the climate resilience project would depend on cooperation from state governments, urging governors to increase their counterpart contributions. He noted that the Federal Government is processing another tranche of disbursement while thanking the European Investment Bank for supporting Nigeria with critical funds for erosion control, flood management, and watershed restoration. He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing climate-smart resilient cities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kambari, described the partnership as transformative. “This reflects the kind of collaboration the world needs, one that prioritizes people, planet, and prosperity,” he said.
National Project Coordinator of NEWMAP-EIB, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, provided a detailed overview of the project. He said the NEWMAP-EIB is an extension of ongoing efforts to address land degradation, enhance institutional capacity, and help communities adapt to the realities of climate change. He disclosed that the project is supervised by the Federal Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Environment and supported by a Technical Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary.
According to Yalaks, the project is managed by a Federal Project Management Unit coordinated by a National Project Coordinator, with similar structures replicated at the state level. He explained that the NEWMAP-EIB has been restructured into two main components: Erosion and Watershed Management Infrastructure Investment and Project Management.