NAN-AE-9
Fund
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, May 17, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government on Wednesday called on Governors of the six riparian states of Hadejia Jama’are Komadugu Yobe Basin -Trust Fund (HJYB-TF) to commit more funds toward developing the North East.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu made the call in a statement issued by his Director of Press, Margaret Umoh.
The statement said the minister made the call at the end of a Summit of the Governors of the six riparian states of the HJYB-TF in Jos.
According to him, the riparian states of Plateau, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno have not contributed money to the fund in the last four years.
Adamu said with adequate funding, the Federal Government would be able to execute some quick-win intervention programmes that would support livelihoods in the North Eastern part of the country.
According to him, the 15 million people of the riparian states are tackling poverty and unemployment as a result of contentious water management issues of the basin.
The minister was represented by Mr Musa Ibrahim, acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry.
Adamu explained that the fund was established to serve as a single shared platform through which the states could provide a sustainable funding mechanism for addressing the most crucial Inter-state Water Management issues of the basin.
“The Trust Fund, created by the riparian states and the Federal Government has been able to address some Water Resources Management challenges.
“They include the flow of water to undesirable destinations, conflicts resulting from shared resources and the restoration of some livelihoods,” he said.
He added that if the Trust Fund was well funded by the six states and the Federal Government, it would foster improved Water Resources Management of the basin.
The statement also quoted Plateau Governor, Simon Lalong, who presented the communiqué of the Summit on behalf of the Governors of the six riparian states, as saying “they were committed to taking ownership of the Trust Fund’’.
According to Lalong, the riparian states will henceforth ensure better management of the Trust Fund through the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees, as well as provide the N122 million needed for running the secretariat.
The governor said that the states would also provide the counterpart funding for the African Water Facility/AFDB HJKYB Projects of the basin.
They also resolved that the funding of the Trust Fund be included in the budget of states’ Ministries of Water Resources on annual basis to ensure its continuity and sustainability
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The Hadejia-Jama’are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin (HJKYB) is an inter-state and trans-boundary basin in Northern Nigeria.
It covers an area of approximately 84,000 km2; it is an area of recent drama in water resources issues.
Natural phenomena combining with long time institutional failure in management of water resources of the basin have led to environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, resources use competition and conflicts, apathy and poverty among the various resource users in the basin. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/EEE
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ese E. Ekama