By AMINU DALHATU; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, in collaboration with the Zamfara State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, has intensified community sensitisation ahead of the implementation of a 5.6-kilometre Bulka erosion control project in Gusau.
The State Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Nasirudeen Bello, stated this during a sensitisation programme organised for residents, community leaders, youths, women and other stakeholders in the affected communities held in Gusau the Zamfara Capital.
Bello explained that the engagement was the final sensitisation exercise before the commencement of civil works, aimed at educating affected communities on compensation, relocation and the need to vacate areas designated for the project.
According to him, the project involves the construction of a drainage channel from the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, to the Gusau River, to address recurring flooding and reduce the loss of lives and property along the corridor.
He said the project would save lives, protect property and enhance the value of houses and other properties within the affected areas.
The ACReSAL coordinator added that the intervention would also provide livelihood opportunities through skills training, particularly in fisheries, distribution of farm inputs and promotion of climate-smart agricultural practices to discourage indiscriminate tree felling.
Nasirudeen Bello said the project was necessitated by decades of recurring flooding, noting that communities along the corridor had suffered loss of lives and property almost every rainy season for about 40 years.
He expressed optimism that the project, once completed, would provide a long-term solution, with an expected lifespan of about 100 years.
On the commencement date, Bello said the project was currently at the bidding stage, adding that its exact cost had not yet been determined.
He explained that the next step was to compile reports from the verification, validation, sensitisation and training exercises and submit them for final approval by the state government.
According to him, once approval is secured, a contract award letter will be issued to the successful bidder.
Nasirudeen Bello also clarified that the project was not solely funded by the Zamfara State Government, explaining that it was being implemented through a partnership involving the World Bank, Federal Government and state government.
He said the Federal Government obtained funding from the World Bank and allocated resources to 19 northern states, including Zamfara, because of the region’s vulnerability to climate-related challenges and its semi-arid geographical conditions.
The coordinator further explained that Android phones provided to selected male and female leaders from the six communities covered by the project were intended to facilitate communication between community leaders and the project team, particularly in reporting grievances and challenges that might arise during implementation.
He added that toll-free telephone lines, complaint registers and complaint boxes would also be provided to enable community members to communicate directly with project authorities at no cost.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Zamfara State Environmental Protection and Enforcement Agency, Muhammad Zangina Abdullahi, urged residents to stop dumping refuse and other waste materials into drainage channels to prevent flooding and protect lives and property.
Abdullahi warned that indiscriminate disposal of refuse, polythene materials and other waste could block waterways and worsen flooding during the rainy season.
He therefore called on traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to take ownership of the project by ensuring proper waste disposal and maintaining the drainage systems.
Also speaking, the ACReSAL Gender-Based Violence Officer, Rabia Abdullahi Nahuce, warned contractors handling the project against sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, discrimination and other forms of misconduct in host communities.
Nahuce said contractors were expected to maintain cordial relationships with community members and focus strictly on their assigned responsibilities without interfering in the affairs of the communities.
She stressed that contractors must not engage in conflicts with residents or discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, tribe, religion, ethnicity or disability.
“They are there to work, purposely to work, and not to interfere with the community,” she said.
The Gender-Based Violence Officer also warned contractors and project staff against engaging in sexual activities with community members, particularly children below the age of 18, stressing that ACReSAL would not tolerate sexual harassment, abuse or exploitation involving its personnel or contractors.
She further cautioned against using money or other material benefits to lure community members into sexual relationships, saying such conduct would be treated as sexual exploitation and a violation of the project’s safeguarding standards.
During the programme, experts from the Department of Geography at Ahmadu Bello University, including specialists in disaster management, highlighted the importance of the project to communities located along the drainage corridor.
The 5.6-kilometre drainage project is expected to provide a long-term solution to flooding along the affected corridor while strengthening environmental resilience and protecting communities, livelihoods and property.
The sensitisation programme also featured the procurement and distribution of Android phones to selected community leaders as part of measures to strengthen community engagement, project monitoring and grievance-redress mechanisms.
