The federal government has allocated the sum of N6 billion in the 2025 budget for erosion and flood control projects as some of the new projects to be executed by the Federal Ministry of Environment under its Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP).
The Federal Ministry of Environment was among the sectors that was allotted the least amount of money in the 2025 budget and thus the ministry’s headquarters was allotted over N64 billion to carry on with its numerous ongoing projects while also initiating new ones.
A breakdown of the ministry’s budget for the new projects showed that erosion control and road improvements work in the Onyonma Community in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, got the highest allocation of N400 million, while gully erosion and flood control work at the Ndon Eyo Community in Esit Eket Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State got the sum of N300,000,000.
Also, N300 million was allocated for erosion and flood control work at the Ikebiri community in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District and erosion and flood control at Opuama and some selected communities in Southern Ijaw LGA in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, will also gulp the sum of N300 million.
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Further breakdown showed that the sum of N300 million will be expended on erosion and flood control work in the Eniagbedi Owhe Community In Isoko North/ South Federal Constituency Delta State, while N200 million will go for erosion and flood control improvements in Mbak 3 in Itu Federal Constituency.
Also, N150 million is being allocated for erosion and flood control works in selected areas of Kaduna State, N150 million for erosion and flood control works in selected areas of Borno State and the Ezeagu road flood and erosion control works/limited rehabilitation of Mama Charlie Street, Kubwa, Abuja will also gulp N150 million and that Bokani-Tika Dakpan Road Mokwa LGA, Niger State too.
However, several other new projects on erosion and flood control across states were captured in the budget ranging from N20 million to N80 million, these are aside from the construction of drainages in some areas to help also control floods among others.
Other new projects intended by the ministry under the 2025 budget are the installation of solar carports at the Federal Ministry of Environment office, Green Building, Abuja with N80,000,000; circular economy entrepreneur training hub on waste conversion with 90,000,000, the establishment of food waste elimination centre with 90,000,000 and installation of CCTV cameras in the ministry premises with N50, 000, 000.
Reacting, an environmentalist, who wished to be addressed as Raymond said if issues of flooding are addressed to the minimal point, it will be easy to tackle other challenges of the environment
He said it is important that the allocated money is released for the projects to be carried out and completed as well and not to be abandoned halfway into construction.
He said that most African countries pay lip service to the issue of environment and that is why the sector always gets little in budgetary allocations because they wait for development partners to execute most of the jobs.
“It is high time our governments begin to prioritise funding of the environment, we have the resources and the capacity, we just need behavioural change and the political will to execute the job,” he said.
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