The federal government is working with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to recover 350,000 hectares of degraded land in the north for agriculture.
The project is part of the Action Against Desertification (AAD) initiative which aims to support the implementation of the FAO Agro-Climatic Resilience for the Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACRESAL) for sustainable management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said the government has empowered local communities to complement government agencies in safeguarding the forest and farms.
Lawal said that in collaboration with state governments, the administration of President Bola Tinubu has deployed renewable energy kits, solar street lights, solar boreholes, clean cooking solutions as well as the construction of good roads to communities for economic and security purposes.
According to him, other initiatives introduced by the government included: the introduction of loans to farmers and other SMSEs; solar abattoirs, and solar food processing and storage centres. He said “The Federal government in collaboration with the sub-nationals are engaging in several livelihood support programmes like training on climate resilience agriculture, irrigation, tractors usage, supplying farmers with improved seeds and seedlings, animal species and fertilizers.” The minister highlighted the challenges of funding, technology, and capacity building, while noting opportunities in renewable energy, climate-resilient agriculture, and regional cooperation.