The Benue Valley Development and Investment Enhancement Project (Viva-Benoue) was launched on 12 September 2022. This is what the government daily Cameroon-Tribune reports. According to the newspaper, the project was launched at an information and awareness meeting held in Lagdo, a locality located about sixty kilometres from Garoua, in the northern region of Cameroon.
The objective is to improve agricultural yields in the Benue valley through better management of water resources. The very hot and semi-arid climate in this part of the country is accentuated by climate change. And with the Benue Valley Development and Investment Enhancement Project, the Cameroonian government is aiming for 90.74 billion CFA francs (more than 138.3 million euros) annually in terms of agricultural production.
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For example, the Cameroonian authorities plan to restore 1,000 hectares of existing land and develop another 10,000 hectares using water from the Benue River. Drainage systems will also channel the river and thus obstruct the flow to protect areas in the potential flood zone. “At least 27 water user associations will be set up to manage the secondary canals,” explains Mahamat Habibou, the irrigation project coordinator.
The Cameroonian government has given itself seven years to cover all the activities planned under the Benue Valley Development and Investment Project. A total of 126,000 people will benefit from the project, including 26,000 farmers.
Inès Magoum