Member countries of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) have adopted a $9 billion investment plan to sustain the resources of the basin which has 130 million inhabitants, the federal government disclosed yesterday.
Leaders of the regional body adopted the billion dollars plan from 2008 to 2027.
The government also revealed adoption of another $7.2 billion as its operational plan (OP) while $3.11 billion would be spent on its Climate Resilience Investment Plan (CRIP).
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed these at the 36th Ordinary Session of the NBA, which in Abuja on Friday.
The NBA is an intergovernmental organisation in West Africa aimed at fostering co-operation in managing and developing the resources of the basin of the River Niger.
It is made up of nine-member countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire.
Adamu, who is also the Chairman, Council of Ministers of the NBA, noted the degradation of the environment in the basin and its pact on natural resources remained a major concern to member countries that required cooperation within the NBA to address.
According to the minister, water within the basin that flows over the nine member countries needed to be preserved, protected and well managed for everyone’s well-being.
The minister said: “I am pleased to note that despite all these difficulties, in recent years, thanks to our own political will and the active support of our development partners, our organization has made significant progress.
“The adoption of a Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) of the Niger Basin with a 2008-2027 investment Programme for a total cost of 6.3 billion euro, which is $9.335 billion US dollars broken down into three-five years plans;
“The adoption of the 2013-2024 Strategic Plan and its 2016-2024 Operational Plan incorporating the Investment Plan of Strengthening Resilience to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (CRIP).
“The total amount of the OP is $7.2 billion, including $3.11 billion for the CRIP.
“As for us member countries of the authority, despite the significant efforts made in the payment of contributions, we must recognize that we still have much to do to follow suit with our development partners, by honouring our commitments to our Joint Organization regularly and in due course.”
He said that the combined phenomena of climate change and population growth as well as irrational and abusive exploitation of natural resources had been having adverse consequences on the social-economic activities in the basin.
Adamu urged them to pursue programmes such as the implementation of major integration projects and the Silting Control Programme in the basin, among others.
Executive Secretary of the NBA, Abderahim Hamid, said the regional body had launched a $300-million-dollar fund with the African Development Bank (AfDB) for technical and environmental studies to protect the basin from the consequences of climate change.
The project, which is the Programme for the Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC), would promote the adaptation of mechanisms to manage the depletion of the basin.
Hamid said that it was important for member countries of the authority to make additional efforts through contributions and strengthening of human capacities towards improving the people’s livelihoods.
Hamid said: “We have started the preparation of the programme for the development of resilience to climate change in the Niger Basin with the World Bank for a total of $350 to 500 million that will start as from 2019 over a period of five years.”