Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi has flagged – off the of commencement of the construction of Danmasara and Kalgo/Yalwawa Gully Erosion and Flood Mitigation projects as well as the payment of compensation to Four Hundred Seventy-Nine (479) persons affected by the projects, known as Project-Affected Persons (PAP), most of whom are vulnerable persons affected by the project intervention.
A speech document received by Top Daily News from the Chief Press Secretary to Jigawa State Governor, Hamisu Muhammad Gumel noted that “The Danmasara – Kalgo-Yalwawa Erosion Control Project is a project initiated and packaged by the Jigawa State Government to be funded under the World-Bank Assisted ACReSAL Project being implemented in partnership with the Jigawa State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.”
Governor Namadi mentioned, “This aligns with one of our inaugural speech commitments where we pledged to leverage on the World Bank supported ACReSAL Project and other National Programmes of the Federal Ministry of Environment to promote agro-climatic resilience and environmental sustainability in the State.”
“Task Team managing the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project in the World Bank Country Office, the esteemed Staff of the Federal Project Management Unit of the ACReSAL Project and indeed, all other distinguished personalities present here today.”
“One of our priority commitments to the people of Jigawa State is promoting Environmental Sustainability, which was in consideration of the devastating effects of the phenomenon of perennial flooding, desertification, land degradation, and the gradual loss of our forest reserves. All these come with serious negative setbacks on the government’s efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and the provision of sustainable means of livelihood for most of the population. These made it imperative for us to prioritize the pursuit of policy initiatives and interventions that would protect the environment together with its flora and fauna.”
“For several decades, gully erosion has been a persistent environmental challenge to Danmasara, Kalgo, and Yalwawa communities, destroying farmlands, access roads, residential areas, peoples’ means of livelihoods and endangering the lives and other public and private properties. In fulfillment of our commitments, dealing with this age-long environmental problem becomes a priority. To contain and mitigate any further devastating effect of the gully erosion in Danmasara and Kalgo and Yalwawa communities, we are today flagging off a mega construction project to reclaim the gully-affected areas and control floods along farmlands and residential areas within the neighboring communities.”
“As designed, the project would involve the construction of about seven (7) kilometers of U-shaped gravity-driven drainage structures, dozens of culverts of various dimensions with connecting roads over them, and additional reinforced concrete structures sideways to ensure lasting resilience.” He said.
According to him, “Overall impact of the project is the reclamation of over Four Hundred (400) hectares of land along the gully corridor. While mitigating the future occurrence of gully erosion in the entire area, the project will significantly contribute to the restoration of sustainable means of livelihoods for the thousands of households that live within Danmasara, Kalgo, and Yalwawa communities.”
“The total project cost is to the tune of about N10.88 billion awarded to Alren Construction Company and Retercha Company Limited each handling specific segments of the project. In addition to the cost of construction works, this flag-off event also includes the commencement of compensation payments of over N189.94 million to 479 individuals affected by the project. This will include compensation for lands, economic trees, and crops, as well as for temporary and permanent resettlement, including inconveniences and livelihood restoration. Furthermore, a small ruminant goat-breeding support program would be provided to carefully selected vulnerable groups targeted based on age or disability criteria to improve their means of livelihood.
” Let me at this stage express my sincere appreciation to our partners in progress, the World Bank and the ACReSAL Federal Project Management Unit for their unwavering support and commitment to the success of the entire ACReSAL Project in Jigawa State and in particular, for their support towards the commencement of the Gully Erosion Control and Mitigation Project. I equally commend the State Team for their hard work and diligence in the proper packaging of the projects we are flagging off today, which made it possible to secure the approvals of both the World Bank and the ACReSAL FPMU.
” While I have confidence in the capacity and professional expertise and integrity of the two construction Firms that will execute the contracts – that is Alren and Retercha – I must call on them to be diligent and steadfast in implementing the projects as designed. The projects must be executed according to design specifications and within the timelines allowed in the contract agreements. I also urge you to comply with all the environmental and social safeguards and guidelines as per the Environmental and Social Impact Analysis of the Projects.”
Similarly, “Let me also passionately appeal to all residents within Danmasara, Kalgo, and Yalwawa communities to take full advantage of these projects. With reclamation and accessibility to over 400 hectares of lands hitherto constrained by the phenomenon of gully erosion and floods, this gives you unlimited opportunities to restore your livelihoods and achieve significant improvement in your productivity and contribution to the State’s economy. Despite the huge amounts that would be expended in the execution of the projects, a cost-benefit-analysis will clearly indicate that the benefits by far, outweigh the cost. I believe this could best be demonstrated through the expansion of economic activities in the benefitting communities, particularly agricultural production, and through improved productivity of the population.”