… Says project aims at
Project at addressing critical environmental challenges.
Kogi State Coordinator of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Barrister Ladi Ahmed Jatto says the new Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi – Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) is a six year Project which aims at addressing critical environmental challenges being faced by the Northern part of Nigeria.
The Project Objective, as stated by the Project Coordinator is to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
Barrister Jatto, who gave an insight into next year’s activities of the ACReSAL Project in an interactive session with newsmen in Lokoja said, critical peculiarities and challenges of northern Nigeria, including DESERTIFICATION, LOW LITERACY LEVEL, LOW AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, CLIMATE CHANGE and POVERTY would be addressed, when the Project commences in earnest.
She explained that the components of the Project include: DRY LAND MANAGEMENT which would focus on reviving degraded land in Kogi State and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
Other components, according to her, include: COMMUNITY CLIMATE RESILIENCE, which consists of Community Strengthening, Community Resilience targeted towards preparation of the people to withstand shocks due to climate change; she stated that the Project is multi-sectoral in nature, comprising various sectors, such as the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, and Water Resources; hence, the Project implementation would adopt a multi-sectoral approach in addressing the challenges it intends to address; poverty rate would be reduced through the Community Revolving Funds, and Climate Smart Agricultural practices to be encouraged.
She also assured that the program would feature the strengthening of the institutional capacity of MDAs to be able to discharge their duties effectively.
Barrister Jatto also disclosed that the Project is in line with the Federal Government’s decision to reclaim four million hectares of degraded land in Nigeria, out of which ACReSAL would reclaim a million hectares, and the desire of the Nigerian Government to lift 100 million people from poverty by 2030.
She further stated that the Project targets Semi – Arid landscapes and areas of low precipitation.
She expressed appreciation for the prompt payment of funds by the State Government, noting that necessary activities preceding the implementation of the Project have commenced.
On the recent convergence of the world in Egypt to discuss the issue of climate change, Barrister Jatto said the convention would benefit Kogites in the area of investment, cross-fertilization of ideas and strategies towards managing losses occasioned by environmental degradation.
