Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah (4th left), with top government officials and the team from West Africa Coastal Area (WACA) Management Project Mission during a courtesy visit on the governor who was represented by the SSG
ASABA/Nigeria: The Government of Delta State has assured the West Africa Coastal Area (WACA) Management Project Mission Team of its commitment to key into the project in order to safeguard the coastal areas of the state from environmental degradation.
The state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, made this known in Asaba when a team of international consultants engaged by the World Bank to carry out technical studies on the coastline communities of Lagos, Delta and Cross River States paid him a courtesy visit.
The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, stated that the WACA project was the solution needed to help improve the lives of persons living in communities around the coastal areas of states in the Niger Delta.
Senator Okowa noted that for the project to have meaningful impact in the coastal areas, it should be expanded to all the south-south states through the BRACED Commission and by that, the governors could key into it.
He assured the team that the state government would work with the team so that the project could take off in the state, and that government officials from the line ministries would meet with them to brainstorm and thereafter report back to the government.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Barry Gbe, in his remarks, said that the state government had been engaging the World Bank in some projects and that WACA was introduced to the state in 2019, stating that the project appealed to the government because of the numerous benefits from it.
The commissioner explained that WACA was in the state to carry out a baseline survey on the coastal areas and see what the state government had on ground, including areas where coastal erosion problems existed, land where oil spillage had occurred, among others.
Earlier, the World Bank Team Leader, Mr. Joseph Akpokodje, stated that they were in the state to carry out technical studies on the coastline communities towards improving their livelihoods.
Mr Akpokodje explained that the studies would help the team to develop a multi- sector investment plan (MSIP) to address coastal flooding, erosion and pollution for the preselected coastal zones in Lagos, Delta and Cross River States in Nigeria.
He said the MSIP was aimed to implement sustainable and climate resilient strategies to reduce coastal risks, while achieving economic and environmental benefits, improving livelihoods and contributing to the prosperity of coastal communities.
The leader of the team listed some of the causes of coastal degradation to include waves, tides, storms, construction of ports, jetties, sediment- trapping, upland dams, sand mining, and marine and coastal pollution, among others.
In his presentation, the consultant to WACA, Dr. Dirk Heijboer, explained the importance of the project towards alleviating the plight of the people living in the coastal areas and urged the state government to embrace the project.
