Abuja – The World Bank has approved 200 million dollars, (about N32 billion) to support Nigeria’s flood management in Ibadan, Oyo State.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Bamidele Oladokun, Communication Associate to the World Bank in Abuja on Wednesday.

The statement said the bank Executive Directors approved the money to improve disaster risk management capabilities in the state.

“The board also intends to strengthen community-based resilience capacity and provide support for risk assessment and early warning systems in Ibadan”, it said.

According to the statement, Ibadan’s poorest and most vulnerable residents are the most affected by the floods.

It said the floods in Aug. 2011 caused significant human and economic losses primarily in housing, education, agriculture and transport.

The statement quoted the Director of the bank in Nigeria, Miss Marie-Francoise Nelly as saying that “Nigerian cities are growing at a scale never seen before and are exposing more people to disaster impacts.

“Floods and other climate-related shocks are a severe threat to the achievement of the country’s development goals.

“It is critical that these cities are able to face these significant challenges, and prepare for potential natural disasters and climate change.”

The statement explained that the State Government had appealed to the bank to support it in its bid to find an integrated and long term solutions to flooding in Ibadan.

“The Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project will benefit the 3.1 million people living in the city, and specifically the 40,200 people who reside in flood prone areas.

“The project will establish early warning and flood response actions and will also finance the rehabilitation of Ibadan city drains, roads and bridges, as well as restoring Eleyele Dam.

“The project will develop a long-term flood risk management framework. It will reinforce government’s early warning and response capabilities.

“It will leverage existing World Bank projects such as the Community and Social Development Project in Oyo state’’, it said.

– NAN