The Edo State Flood, Erosion, and Watershed Management Agency (Edo FEWMA) was launched on Friday by Governor Godwin Obaseki, who pledged to continue his administration’s efforts to ensure environmental sustainability and realize a circular economy.
The Edo FEWMA is a new agency created by the state government to continue the improvements made in erosion control and flood management under the Edo State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, which was funded in part by the World Bank (Edo NEWMAP).
Addressing to guests at the event with the theme “Metamorphosis from Edo NEWMAP to Edo FEWMA: Enhancing Landscape and Restoring Livelihoods” at Government House in Benin City, Obaseki reaffirmed his government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and land management.
Guests at the event include the Onogie of Ugboha, His Royal Highness, Stephen Odigie Ukato; the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III; the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami; and the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Darlington Obaseki.
As part of the launch, Governor Godwin Obaseki unveiled the state’s new engineering design capabilities to speed up the process of interventions in flood and erosion as well as PikAmSel, an app created to help the government address the threat of plastic and aluminum can wastes, which pose serious flood and drainage issues and pose a significant threat to the functionality of stormwater infrastructure, moats, and other drainage systems in the state.
The governor assured the public that all necessary precautions are being taken to prevent gullies and erosion in the State, noting that most of the gullies and floods that Edo State has experienced over time are caused by human activity, including indiscriminate deforestation, poor land management, and subpar road construction designs.
“The cases we’re dealing with are man-made issues,” he declared. Due to environmental negligence throughout the years, we are now facing difficulties like gully erosion and flooding that have never been witnessed before.
“Today, contractors construct roads without using sound engineering designs for erosion management. Land management doesn’t interest anyone. People are indiscriminately building, preventing the free flow of water and causing erosion.
“In the last ten years, we have spent more than $150 million trying to fix what we have broken on our own. No agency, whether federal or NDDC, will start a project without registering with the Edo FEWMA because they are causing us more problems by not providing the engineering design, plans for erosion management, and the like.
According to Dr. Tom Obaseki, Chief Executive Officer of Edo FEWMA, “Edo State was the only state that caused NEWMAP to work. In the last ten years, a total of 23 states have taken part in NEWMAP, and in every single one of them, Edo State has not only outperformed the others in terms of project accomplishments—even though it was anticipated that the states would have contributed 4.2 percent, Edo state contributed 17 percent of the overall success of NEWMAP in Nigeria.”
Other guests at the event include the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., Chief Imam, Sheik Abdul-Fatai Enabulele, the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Osasere Evbuomwan, and the Commissioner for Water Resources, Moses Agbukor.
Also in attendance are Dr. Bartholomew Brai, the commissioner for digital economy, science, and technology, as well as Omololu Ojehomo, the commissioner for public safety and security, and Mr. Charles Omorogbe, the general manager of the Edo Waste Management Board among others.