Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said the state government spent $150 million on flood control and erosion management in different locations.
Obaseki made the disclosure at the official launch of the Edo State Flood, Erosion, and Watershed Management Agency in Benin at the weekend.
Edo FEWMA is a new agency established by the government to sustain the gains recorded in erosion control and flood management started under the World Bank-assisted Edo State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Benin, said Obaseki reassured that the government would sustain efforts at protecting the environment and ensuring improved livelihoods for Edo people.
The governor decried that most of the environmental challenges faced by the state were man-made.
He noted that the government was taking critical steps at building a progressive and prosperous Edo that was resilient to climate change and anchored on sustainable environmental development and a circular economy.
Obaseki, therefore, warned that any agency intending to build roads in the state, including the Niger Delta Development Commission, must first register its design with the Edo FEWMA to ensure proper engineering design and erosion control mechanisms.
