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Nigeria pays N.8bn to restore Lake Chad Basin

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The federal government yesterday said it had paid the sum of $5,000,000 (about N800,000,000.00 at N160 per

dollar) for the feasibility study “to restore the receding Lake Chad Basin.”

This was made known in a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Boade Akinola, and made available to Saturday Mirror.

President Goodluck Jonathan, the release said, announced the payment at a Roundtable Donors Conference organised by Africa Development Bank (ADB) in partnership with member states managing the Chad Basin, in Italy, for restoration of the Basin. The Lake, the release informed, had receded from about 25,000 square kilometers in 1960 to about 2,500 square kilometers at present.

The amount would be used for feasibility studies for water transfer from Central Africa Republic (C.A.R) to the Lake, according to the statement. “The president who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, at the conference said that the Donors’ Conference was organised to source for fund for the five year investment plan and for the preparation towards the Inter Water Transfer to resuscitate Lake Chad.

“He explained that the receding of Lake Chad has impacted negatively on agricultural production, pastoral and fishery activities, constituting huge threat to the economy of over 30 million people living within the catchment.

“According to him, safeguarding the Lake Chad for the benefit of millions of people would impact positively on poverty reduction in the region, translate to saving the livelihood of the people of the region, reduce insecurity, improve waterways navigation, boost communication and also increase agricultural production in the region. “

By MARCUS FATUNMOLE

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