FG targets 3.4 million direct beneficiaries through ACReSAL project
Federal government has said that transformation of drylands in the northern parts of the country, through Agro- Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, is targeted to impact 3.4 million direct beneficiaries, out of which 1.68 million (49.41%) will be women.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a10-day stakeholders engagement on strategic catchment management plan (SCMP) for 11 new river catchments across seven states of the federation in Ilorin on Monday, the ACReSAL national project coordinator, Mr. Abdulhamid Umar, said that the project will be carried out through long-term transformation plan.
Umar, who was represented by Water Resources Management specialist in the federal project management unit, Engineer Adamu Shettima, said that the project is about restoring dignity to drylands, rebalancing ecosystems and streghthening resilience of millions of people across northern Nigeria.
The national project coordinator, who said that the project was being assisted by the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA), added that it is the first time the federal overnment is developing a catchment management plan of such magnitude.
“Having completed nine out of the proposed 20 plans, ACReSAL has come a long with dedication and resolve by our teams at the federal and state levels in driving this is project forward”.
He said that the strategic stakeholder engagement will focus on interacting with stakeholders in the Malenda Kaduna-Mariga, Gurara-Gbalo (Abuja), Oshin-Oyi, and Sarkin-Powa-Kaduna Strategic catchments covering Kwara, the host, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and FCT.
“It is imperative to highlight that the strategic catchment management plan will facilitate ACReSAL to meet its PDO and sustainably restore 1 million hectares of degraded land, making them cultivatable, habitable, and usable for any other purpose, be it commercial, domestic or otherwise. ACReSAL also seeks to impact 3.4 million direct beneficiaries, out of which 1.68 million (49.41%) will be women.
“Strategic catchment management plans will enable the integration of social and economic needs with natural ecosystems and the long-term use of natural resources. It will elaborately and comprehensively bring out the structures and mechanisms for environmental cooperation and coordination, as well as the development of social commitment and cohesion.
Moreso, catchment management plans not only provide answers to what, when, and where of catchment management, they also very importantly provide scientifically guided decisions regarding early strategies for preparing and averting potential environmental challenges (early warming).
Umar, who said that having a robust and all-encompassing catchment management plan could only be achieved with the input and guidance received from strategic stakeholders, added that they had been invited to make the development of the document holistic and all-encompassing.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa Buge, said that the stakeholders engagement is part of the initiative to improve water governance, enhance environmental resilience, and promote sustainable livelihoods in semi-arid regions of Nigeria.
The commissioner, who said that the new catchments span across six states in Nigeria, added that, “We have them in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)”.
“As of today, there are nine developed SCMP across other zones, including Wase-Taraba and Hadejia-Jama’are, and we are proud that Kwara is hosting this next phase, where 11 additional catchments will undergo strategic planning”, she said.
In his speech, the Kwara state Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project, Alhaji Shamsideen Olatunbosun Aregbe, called for active participation and collaboration among stakeholders in the development of a SCMP.
Aregbe described the forum as an opportunity to shape the future of the state’s catchment areas through inclusive and sustainable planning.
“This gathering brings together key stakeholders to discuss, collaborate, and develop a plan that balances environmental, social, and economic needs. Your input and expertise are invaluable to this process”, he said.
He explained that the ACReSAL Project is addressing land degradation and climate change in 19 northern states and the FCT through integrated landscape management.
