One the objectives of Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project is to enhance the livelihood of the affected communities and those who live within the shadows of the gullies based on Sub component 1C of the project.
The Alternative livelihoods program is meant to increase incomes for rural households from improved agricultural and forest practices through the use of conservation agriculture, agro-forestry, and natural regeneration thereby helping to reduce pressure on the soil.
Under this subcomponent, project beneficiaries have formed Community Interest groups using the Community Demand Driven approach (CDD) and the beneficiaries have been empowered to develop business proposals and community action plans for funding.
Some of the alternative livelihoods activities include Poultry, Fish, crops, pig farms, tailoring, cassava, and palm oil processing, ICT etc.
A total number of 3,229 beneficiaries (including males and females) are currently implementing their livelihoods activities in four states of Anambra (599male and 628 female) Cross River (184male and 231 female) Ebonyi (292 male and 537 female) andEnugu (301male and 457 female).
The community members have also benefitted from other sources of income apart from their various alternative livelihoods activities, such as direct labour for the civil works, bioremediation works, project site security guards etc. at the various project sites across NEWMAP states.
Likewise, all the group members have also benefitted from capacity building on various topics such as; Simple bookkeeping, writing of business proposals, conflict management, project monitoring, Community demand driven in procurement etc.
In compliance to the safeguards policies of the World Bank, FGN and States Government, the project has successfully carried out studies on Environmental and Social Management Plans and Resettlement Action Plans for Twenty One sites across the seven first mover states. These documents were disclosed and implemented accordingly.
During the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) a total number of 984 people have benefited from the project with compensation wealth of N821, 835,799.00 across the states of Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Edo, Enugu and Imo respectively.
