The Edo State Government says it has paid N800 million in counterpart funding to support a European Union-backed initiative aimed at tackling flooding and erosion across the state, particularly in Benin City.

The Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Nosa Adams, disclosed this on Wednesday during the Ministry of Information and Strategy’s bi-monthly press briefing. He said the payment would pave the way for the resumption of the Benin Storm Water Project, with construction expected to begin within the next two months after the completion of necessary documentation.

According to Adams, the project is the second and final phase of the Benin Storm Water Project, which was initiated during the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole but later discontinued under the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki.

He explained that the renewed project would extend drainage infrastructure to areas including Tomline, Siluko Road and Ekewan Road, with the aim of addressing persistent flooding and erosion in parts of the Benin metropolis.

Adams expressed confidence that the intervention would significantly reduce flooding and erosion in the affected communities once completed.

The Benin Storm Water Project was first announced in 2012 by the Oshiomhole administration to address recurring flooding in Benin City through the construction of a major drainage network, including a deep stormwater channel along New Lagos Road. The project was later halted after the succeeding administration questioned its implementation.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said the state government also plans to undertake extensive reclamation works within the Government Reservation Area (GRA), alongside the construction of drainage channels designed to channel floodwater into the Ogba River as part of broader flood control efforts.