By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria’s Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to combat climate change and environmental degradation, with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project recording significant progress in restoring degraded lands and improving livelihoods.
This commitment was restated during the Federal Technical Committee (FTC) meeting of the ACReSAL Project held at the Ministry of Environment in Abuja. The meeting brought together permanent secretaries of the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Food Security, and Water Resources and Sanitation, alongside key stakeholders to review the project’s performance and annual work plan.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Gambari, described the initiative as a “defining moment” in building resilience against climate change, drought, and food insecurity. His counterparts, Marcus Ogunbiyi (Agriculture) and Richard Philaangwa (Water Resources), highlighted the project’s alignment with food security goals and water ecosystem protection.
National Project Coordinator, Abdulhamid Umar, reported that more than 800,000 hectares of degraded land have been restored, with civil works nearing completion in several states. He noted that 8.7 million people, including over 4.1 million women, have benefited from interventions such as afforestation, erosion control, water management, and climate-smart agriculture.
