NEWMAP–EIB Team Visits Department of Forestry to Strengthen Collaboration on Sustainable Land Restoration and Climate Resilience
The National Project Coordinator of the Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP–EIB) with funding from the European Investment Bank, Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, Monday, 11/8/2025, led the team of the delegation of the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) on a courtesy visit to the Department of Forestry under the Federal Ministry of Environment. The visit aimed to deepen collaboration on sustainable land management and forest conservation and to promote a climate change adaptation strategy. NEWMAP–EIB’s mandate under the watch and guidance of Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister for Environment, is to address the challenges of land degradation and promote watershed management in a targeted sub-watershed across the 23 participating states in Nigeria. Receiving the delegation, the Director of Forestry, Dr. Moses Ama welcomed the team and commended NEWMAP–EIB for its ongoing efforts in tackling environmental degradation. He stressed the critical role of forestry in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and the enhancement of community livelihoods. He, therefore, assured the department’s full support in areas of mutual interest. Earlier in his remarks, Engr. Yalaks reiterated the importance of inter-agency cooperation and collaboration in achieving the project’s development objectives. He noted that effective forest management and conservation initiatives are central to combating erosion, restoring degraded lands, and reducing the impacts of climate change. Most importantly, the forest cover plays a central and pivotal role in the hydrological cycle and provides opportunities for Non-Timber Wood Products for a sustainable and enhanced livelihood development. According to him, the visit underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to a coordinated approach in addressing the challenges of land degradation, deforestation, and strategic development of climate change response and adaptation across the nation under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for sustainable development and environmental stewardship.
