Kogiflame
The Federal Government through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, targeted one million hectares restoration in 10 states.
The National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Mr Abdulhamid Umar who made this known on Saturday during a meeting in Lokoja, said this initiative aims to promote sustainable development, restore degraded lands, and strengthen the resilience of millions of people across northern Nigeria.
The stakeholders’ engagement, which brings together strategic stakeholders from 10 ACReSAL states, including Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Kano, Nasarawa, and FCT.
He mentioned that the engagement is for the development of Sarkin-Powa-Kaduna, Okwa-Mada, Gurara-Gbako, Lokoja-Niger, and Aloma-Ebonyi catchments.
The National Coordinator who was represented by Engr. Shettima Adams, said it aimed to derive a shared vision for an ideal riparian catchment that will build and forestall peace in the catchments.
“The engagement will also consider the opportunities and challenges in the catchments, which will form part of the catchment management plan.
“Catchment management plans are critical for sustainable development, as they provide a framework for managing natural resources, mitigating environmental challenges, and promoting social and economic development.
“The plans will be segregated into short, medium, and long-term plans, ensuring that the ACReSAL Project achieves its objectives of restoring 1 million hectares of degraded land and impacting 3.4 million direct beneficiaries,” Umar said.
He stressed that the ACReSAL Project was s designed to promote long-term transformation, restore dignity to drylands, rebalance ecosystems, and strengthen the resilience of millions of people.
He added that the project would also ensure that women and girl-child benefit from the project and are integrated fully into society.
He added: “With the guidance of the World Bank and the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the ACReSAL Project is poised to make a significant impact in the lives of millions of Nigerians”.
Umar urged stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to the document and ensure that their concerns are integrated into the plan.
He also expressed gratitude to the World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria for their support and guidance in implementing the ACReSAL Project.
“With the stakeholders’ engagement, Nigeria is one step closer to achieving sustainable development and environmental sustainability,” Umar said.
The Kogi Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Hon. Olusegun Stephen Joseph, praised the selection of Lokoja for the ACReSAL stakeholders’ engagement.
Joseph,, who doubles as the State Steering Committee, reaffirmed Governor Ahmed Ododo’s commitment to supporting the project, describing it as a transformative initiative to tackle environmental challenges and climate vulnerability.
Earlier, Kogi State Project Coordinator, Mrs Ladi Jato,
emphasised that the engagement underscored the shared commitment to restoring landscapes, safeguarding environment, and promoting sustainable land and water resource management.
“In Kog State, our interventions are guided by clearly delineated micro watersheds; and we have already engaged a consultant to develop 10 micro catchment plans.
“This delineation forms the foundation of our implementation strategy, ensuring targeted and effective action. Within this framework, for instance, gully remediation works at Etahi, Ankpe, and Omigbo have successfully reclaimed 11,064 hectares degraded areas within the designated catchments.
“In the upper catchment, water harvesting Initiatives have restored 1,540 hectares of land and increased water storage capacity by 800 cubic meters.
“When we reduce run offs, we reduce the impact of gully erosion” in the middle catchment.
“Meanwhile, in the lower catchment, dry season farming support was provided to farmers, enhancing agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
“We are implementing Agroforestry and tree-planting activities, which have so far restored over 3,000 hectares across the entire catchment; these are being implemented on a continuous basis and remain ongoing.
“Our interventions were driven by extensive stakeholders’ engagement within the targeted micro watersheds, ensuring that every solution is tailored to both community needs and environmental priorities.
“We are happy and grateful to be part of the 20 SCMPLs where a larger-scale of approach to catchment management spanning across two or more states will be implemented.
“This initiative will enable us to identify environmental challenges within catchment and adopt a holistic, coordinated approach to addressing them,” she said.
She commended the World Bank task team and the FPMU team, for their support and commitment to the ACSAL Project to restore and safeguard our fragile ecosystem for the benefit of the present and future generations.
“It is hoped that this strategic stakeholders engagement would foster understanding, inclusivity, knowledge sharing, build relationships, ensure compliance, as well as manage grievances and expectations of beneficiaries and affected communities/states,” Jato said.
The Maigari of Lokoja, Alh. Ibrahim Gambo, represented the Rogan of Eggan, Alh. Mohammed Alhassan, pledged the traditional institution’s support for the project’s implementation.
