📋 Tender Overview
Scoope :
Introduction/Background: The project area covers part of the Benue river valley located in the North Cameroon Administrative Region, one of the poorest areas in the North. The Lagdo multipurpose dam was constructed on the Benue River over the years 1978-1982. At completion, the storage volume in the reservoir impounded behind the dam was about 7,700 million cubic meters (m3), with an allocation of 400 million m3for irrigation. A hydropower plant was established with 72 MW installed capacity, and plans were made for the development of irrigation downstream (Master Plan of Irrigation in the Benue river valley for 17,000 ha, of which 11,000 ha can be irrigated from the dam). The hydropower station has been operating since 1982, but the irrigation development did not take place as originally envisaged: only 200 ha were developed in 1987-89 and 800 ha during 1992-1993 on the right bank. 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 appurtenancestructures 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$200 million for a duration of seven years. The project will have the following three components.Component 1: Improvements of Infrastructures and Water Management(US$ 153 million from IDA)24.The primary goal of this component is to ensure sustainable and equitable water resources management and irrigation in the Benue valley. This will be achieved by combining infrastructural, institutional, and informational aspects. In order to do this, the component is organized into three subcomponents: (a) upstream water resources monitoring and coordination by operationalizing the Water Management Committee of Lagdo dam (Comité de Gestion de l’Eau du Barrage de Lagdo)as well as operation and safety of the Lagdo dam (managed by the ENEO power company); (b) on the right bank (RB): irrigation rehabilitation of 1,090 ha and development of 4,230 ha, both for small farmers; on the left bank: 3,628 for agro-industrial development and 1,496 ha for small farmers in existing villages within the perimeter; and (c) irrigation management transfer to the Water Users Associations (WUAs) on the left and the right bank. First, the Water Management Committee of Lagdo needs to become operational and ENEO must improve its water release management when there is a s
