As part of lessons it has learnt from last year’s floods that devastated the State, the Kogi State Government says it is putting in place machinery aimed at harvesting water.
The Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, stated this when he received in audience the International Rescue Committee from the United States and its Nigerian sister organisation, Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication.
Capt. Idris Wada, represented by his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi said following last year’s flood where good drinking water in the lower plain were submerged by the flood, the State Government he disclosed is working with Water Management Centre in Accra, Ghana to avoid future occurrence on how to harvest water in flood situation.
The State Government commended IRC and CISCOPE for its planned intervention in Ibaji Local Government Area,that was completely submerged during the floods, adding that the area was the worst devastated.
Capt. Wada, commended the organisations intervention in the area of Water, Sanitation and Food Production for Ibaji Local Government Area, pointing out that the State will render all the necessary assistance that will enable the realisation of the IRC and CISCOPE in its intervention.
Capt. Wada, also said the cultivation of 13000 hectares of land for the State Cassava and Rice initiative was aimed at food sufficiency, assisting and encouraging farmers whose farmlands were washed away by the flood as well job creation.
In their separate speeches, Peter Michael Egwuda, Programme Officer, CISCOPE and Abdulkadir Hassan Hajil, Emergency field co-ordinator IRC, said following the floods, they were able to secure financial support from European Commission, to assist flood affected population in Ibaji Local Government Area, in Kogi State.
The organisation noted that the projects to be initiated will ensure that 16,000 individuals receive seeds, with each community getting a water pump to improve their farming practices while 10,000 household will receive non – food items kits.
The project they noted will indirectly impact the entire population in assisting them get over the challenges posed by the floods.
