By Funmi Olasupo

In view of the continued emergence of topical environmental issues that require urgent attention,   World Bank has reinstated its commitment to help Nigerian government in its effort to tackle the challenge of Climate Change in the area of adaptation.

The Bank, which has already committed about $30m to combat gully erosion in South-Eastern Nigeria under the Erosion and Watershed Management Programme, added that it would be more strategic in all its programmes in Nigeria to avoid duplication.

World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly who made the disclosure in Abuja at a meeting with a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Environment, led by the Minister, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, also stated that one key area the Bank is looking at to come in is in the process of adaptation.

Process of adaptation

Marie-Nelly assured the delegation that even though the Bank had been engaging in a number of programmes in the country, it would be more willing to help Nigeria in building climate resilience to boost agriculture

She said, “We are actually doing a lot already. For instance, we have a large programme to address gully erosion in the south. We are also engaging in rehabilitating important irrigation dams in order to enhance the capacity for agricultural production.

“What we are doing here today is in response to the request of the Federal Government. We will see how our interventions are in line with the new priority, particularly in the areas of mitigation and adaptation.”

According to her, one key area the bank was looking at was Climate Smart Agriculture, stressing that its studies had shown that unless Nigeria changed its agricultural practices, there would be a quantum slide in agricultural yields.

Marie-Nelly noted that the Bank was also working with the Federal Government to transform some of the gas that was being flared daily into useful energy.

“But what we decided to do here is to discuss with the government more strategies on moving forward, identifying a more specific way what we are each doing and see how our interventions are in line with your priorities particularly in the area of mitigation and adaptation.