| Project Detail |
Project Development Objective
PDO Statement
34. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to provide sustainable irrigation and drainage services
and to improve agricultural production in the irrigated areas of the Benue Valley. Sustainable irrigation means
that the benefits will last beyond the project, preserving the quality of the soil, water, and production, based
on environmentally friendly agricultural practices, solid farmers’ organizations and sustained technical
assistance. This will be measured by the value of agricultural production.
PDO-Level Indicators
35. The PDO level indicators are:
(a) Total area irrigated (hectares);
(b) Irrigation scheme management transferred to Water Users Associations (hectares);
(c) Area prepared by private enterprises (hectares);
(d) Value of agricultural production in rehabilitated and improved irrigation areas (CFA million /year);
and
(e) Direct beneficiaries (number), disaggregated by female (percentage).
B. Project Components
36. Project strategy. The project would achieve the PDO through: (i) support to water security and
governance of the water resources, including water infrastructure safety and operations, construction and
rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage (I&D) infrastructure, and support to water users institutions; (ii)
promotion of agricultural production and agribusiness, including PLL, land preparation, mechanized paddy
cultivation operations, access to inputs and technical assistance (TA), and support to SMEs; and (iii) capacity
building of MEADEN and the strengthening of public services including research and innovation. The project
would also include flood-preparedness and transboundary cooperation in the Benue Valley that is part of the
regionally significant Niger basin. The project has been designed to build resilience against several of the
aforementioned climate risks facing the North, especially drought, extreme precipitation, and flooding.
37. The proposed project will consider the key characteristics or ‘attributes’ for resilient systems as part
of its approach to building resilience of vulnerable farmers in the Benue River Valley. This approach will
consider robustness, diversity, flexibility, connectedness, and inclusion (see Annex 9)
7 as well as help improve
the capacity of poor people to prepare, cope with, and adapt to climate change impacts. For example, access
to water resources monitoring and information systems can improve local decision-making, contributing to
robustness and to the capacity of vulnerable communities to prepare for the impacts of floods
The project would develop irrigated agriculture on both banks of the river immediately downstream
from the dam, and the improvement of agriculture practices in the valley, including land tenure right
management in the public irrigation scheme. In accordance with World Bank OP 4.37, project financing would
include aspects related to the safe operation and sound maintenance of the dam and appurtenance structures
to ensure their long-term integrity and safety in accordance with Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).
The project will be financed by an IDA credit in the amount of US$200 million for a duration of seven years.
The project will have the following four components:
Component 1: Improvements of Infrastructures and Water Management
Component 2: Support Services for Agricultural Production
Component 3: Capacity Building and Implementation
Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response |
