The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has made significant progress in restoring degraded land in Nigeria. The project has successfully rehabilitated 160,000 hectares of hitherto degraded land in different parts of the country. The project aims to address land degradation and climate change across 19 states in Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to Cyril Bikom, Agriculture Expert Advisor to the National Project Coordinator, Abdulhamid Umar, “The project comprises four key components: dryland management, which addresses desertification and various aspects of land degradation; community climate resilience; institutional strengthening and project management; and a contingent emergency response, which serves as a financing mechanism available to borrowers.”
It is, however, not going to stop at the 160,000 hectares. Rather, according to Bikom, the project aims to restore one million hectares of degraded land, including areas affected by erosion, desertification, deforestation, and unsustainable agricultural practices.
“The project is primarily implemented at the state and community levels, with World Bank-supported funds allocated for actual project interventions, while the Federal Government provides counterpart funding,” he added.
Bikom also highlighted the importance of capacity building, stating that the project focuses on training farmers in best agricultural practices, known as smart agriculture.
