(Business in Cameroon) - On September 8, 2020, the World Bank’s board of directors approved a loan of $200 million (about XAF110 billion) for Cameroon, the Bretton Woods institution announced in an official release.

According to the release, the funds will help Cameroon "provide sustainable irrigation and drainage services to improve agricultural production in the Benue Valley, located in the Northern Region.”

"Irrigation is fundamental to ensuring food security in this very fragile Sudano-Sahelian region, which is vulnerable to climatic shocks," explains Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank's country director for Cameroon.

The project carries a social dimension because “the development of the Benue Valley will boost the resilience of vulnerable communities, strengthen their livelihood and ecosystem while enabling them to adapt to climate change,” he added.

The project referred to provides for "the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage infrastructures, the establishment of an early warning system in case of flooding, and technical assistance to support institutions."

It also plans for support to local SMEs, for the mechanization of rice cultivation, the provision of inputs, land development, and actions to boost agricultural production and agro-industry. This project, it is learned, will also strengthen the capacities of MEADEN (Study Mission for the Planning and Development of the North Region), the state agency in charge of the Benue Valley.

BRM