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Determined to address ecological problems such as
flood, soil erosion, desertification, and general environmental hazards
holistically, the federal government is to set aside N30 billion for
ecological projects before the end of the year.

Ibukun Odusote, permanent secretary of the ecological
fund office, disclosed this on Thursday, in Abuja, while briefing
journalists on the ecological fair scheduled to hold next week in the
federal capital.

Environmental challenges

“The federal government is looking at investing N30
billion into ecological projects this year,” she said, adding that
because ecological projects are weather prone, most of the projects
would commence in the last quarter of the year.

This year’s emphasis, according to her, will be laid
on afforestation programme, in which not fewer than 30 million trees
will be planted across the country.

“The afforestation programme covers every part of the
country. For this year, it is in plan that 30 million trees will be
planted. We are developing nurseries for at least 30 million seeds and
based on what we are able to do, we will follow up next year and in no
time, there will be trees planted everywhere in Nigeria,” she added.

While funding for this year’s project is being
processed, the office, according to her, is currently handling about
200 projects left over in 2009, revealing that they are being funded
directly from the federation account.

On how the fund will be disbursed, she said “The
fund, which originally constitutes one percent of the federation
account, was upwardly reviewed to two percent in 1992, and later, one
percent of the derivation allocation was added; making the total
percent of the ecological fund as of today to be three percent.

“Of the amount, 48.5 percent goes to the federal
government, while 24 percent and 20 percent are for states and local
governments respectively.”

The federal government had recently approved a new
guideline for the disbursement of Ecological Funds. Under the new
guideline, drought and desertification control will receive 60 percent;
soil erosion, flood/gully control takes 25 percent; pollution control
has five percent, while administration of Ecological Fund
Office/National Committee on Ecological Problems and other emergencies
will gulp 10 percent, which will be disbursed at the discretion of the
president.

Mrs. Odusote equally hinted that all ecological
projects will be assigned to competent contractors who will deliver
value for money in terms of quality work and timely completion of
projects.

This underscored the need to organise a fair designed
to attract experts, contractors, and consultants with requisite
experience in the ecological sub-sector.

“Eco-Fair 2010 is a further demonstration of the
efforts of the federal government to create awareness among people on
its intervention to alleviate consequences of ecological problems.

“It is also intended to draw people’s attention to ecological
problems in Nigeria with specific reference to erosion, pollution,
desert encroachment, deforestation, and flood, and lay emphasis on
prevention and reducing the adverse effect of ecological problems in
the country,” she said. </