Efforts to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen climate resilience across northern Nigeria have come under assessment as stakeholders gather in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria for the Mid-Term Review of the initiative widely known as ACReSAL.
The project, supported by the World Bank and implemented by the Federal Government, aims to address land degradation, improve livelihoods and promote climate-smart development across semi-arid regions of the country.
At the gathering, stakeholders assessed progress of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL initiative so far and reviewed a report titled “12 Strategic Goals for a Resilient Future: The ACReSAL Project.”
The goals include increasing vegetative cover, promoting climate-smart agriculture, improving water resource management,and strengthening multi-level governance among others.
Early outcomes of the ACReSAL project supported by the World Bank as enumerated at the review suggest significant progress across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory where the programme is being implemented.
Senior Environmental Specialist with the World Bank, Angela Armstrong, describes the project’s outcomes as impressive. “It is quite impressive. We are seeing achievements in improved catchment management and sustainable land management, particularly through the watershed management plans developed across the participating states. The next steps should focus more on community-led investments and strengthening micro-watershed management at the community level.”
The Project’s National Coordinator, Abdulhamid Umar says the initiative has already surpassed key targets, delivering measurable benefits to millions of Nigerians.
He added that investments in watershed restoration, drainage infrastructure and sustainable agriculture are helping reduce flooding, improve crop yields and ease resource-based conflicts in several communities.
“The project initially targeted 3.4 million beneficiaries with 40% women. Today, we have reached about 9.3 million beneficiaries, with 47% women. In terms of land restoration, we were expected to deliver one million hectares by the end of the project, but we have already achieved that milestone within the first half of the six-year implementation period.”
With calls for expanded financing and stronger use of environmental data already generated by the project, stakeholders say scaling up the ACReSAL initiative could further strengthen livelihoods and climate resilience across Nigeria.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
