Promoting
Sustainable
Landscapes Practices.
Sustainable
Landscapes Practices.
Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) is a World Bank-financed project designed to tackle the pressing issues of land degradation and climate change in 19 states of Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The project comprises four key components and is scheduled to run for six years, ending in 2028.
Theory of Change.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) 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. ACReSAL focuses on the long-term sustainability of land and water management in the drylands of northern Nigeria.
The Project will support scaling-up sustainable landscape management practices in northern Nigeria through strategic investments addressing natural resource degradation through an integrated ecosystem approach, building the capacity of institutions towards risk reduction and responding to climate variability, and generating information and knowledge to improve sustainable land and water management practices in Nigeria as a whole, and northern Nigeria in particular.
Activities, Outputs & Impacts
Component A
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Component A
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Component B
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Component C
Contract Signing for Raising 10 Million Seedlings, Borno State
Seedling Production, Nasarawa State
Rehabilitated Nursery at Okura, Kogi State
Nursery Site, Jamari, Dukku LGA Gombe State
Satellite Images Showing Drainage Clearance Around Kano City
After – Drainage Clearance at Gwarzo Road, Kano State
Before – Drainage clearance at Gwarzo Road, Kano State
After – Katsina Road Junction, Kano State
Trained Forest Guards And Support to Ministry of Environment, Gombe State
Contract Signing for 3 Sites in Kogi State
Contract Signing for Uba Flood and Erosion Site, Borno State
Ongoing Rehabilitation of FCE (T) Site, Gombe State
Rehabilitation of Katsina Town Stormwater Drainage Management Phase II
Support to Jos Wild-life Park, Plateau State
Rehabilitated Facilities in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State
Old and New Game Viewing Trucks, Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State
State of The Art Binoculars And Equipment, Yankari Game Reserve
Trained Rangers, Yankari Game Reserve
ACTIVITIES
Q2 - 2024
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Afforestation
Contract Signing for Raising 10 Million Seedlings, Borno State
Seedling Production, Nasarawa State
Rehabilitated Nursery at Okura, Kogi State
Nursery Site, Jamari, Dukku LGA Gombe State
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Drainage Clearance
Satellite Images Showing Drainage Clearance Around Kano City
After – Drainage Clearance at Gwarzo Road, Kano State
Before – Drainage clearance at Gwarzo Road, Kano State
After – Katsina Road Junction, Kano State
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Park Management, Gombe State
Trained Forest Guards And Support to Ministry of Environment, Gombe State
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Strategic Watershed Management Plans
Contract Signing for 3 Sites in Kogi State
Contract Signing for Uba Flood and Erosion Site, Borno State
Ongoing Rehabilitation of FCE (T) Site, Gombe State
Rehabilitation of Katsina Town Stormwater Drainage Management Phase II
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Support to JOS, Wild-Life Park
Support to Jos Wild-life Park, Plateau State
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Support to Yankari Game Reserve
Rehabilitated Facilities in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State
Old and New Game Viewing Trucks, Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State
State of The Art Binoculars And Equipment, Yankari Game Reserve
Trained Rangers, Yankari Game Reserve
Outputs & Impacts Q2 - 2024
Dryland Management
Strategic Watershed Planning
Landscape Investments
Special Ecosystems
Watershed Management Plans
Landscape investment activities have commenced in states, 7,787.42 hectares currently being restored; 4,684.28 in December 2023
Additional three States (Jigawa,Nasarawa and Yobe) to advance to stage2 making a total of 10 states in stage 2; 7 states in stage 2 in December 2023
Twenty five (25) Engineering designs cleared
CIG Implementation
Hybrid Cucumber Cultivated From Greenhouse Farming System, Plateau State
Signing of MOU With NEP – ACReSAL And NEP Coordinators
Students Using The Streetlight to Study at Night/Relaxation at Utoro in Okene LGA in Kogi State
Street Lighting, Nasarawa State
Solar Electrification, Ichwa IDP Camp, Benue State
Sensitization & Distribution of Farm Input, Ichwa IDP Camp, Benue State
Stakeholders’ Engagement at Galadiman Muri’s Palace Jalingo, Jalingo LGA of Taraba State
Kwara ACReSAL Team With His Royal Highness, Etsu of Patigi During a Courtesy Visit on Rehabilitation of Lata Grazing Reserve
Community Sensitization, Yobe State
Mammoth Crowd in Ngamdu, Borno State During The Sensitization Sessions
Solar Borehole With Water Trough For Animals In Gubuchi Village, Makarfi LGA, Kaduna
Solar Powered Boreholes in Kogi State
Faskari Community Members Utilizing Solar Powered Borehole
Solar Powered Borehole Operating at Full Capacity in Agber Village, Makurdi LGA, Benue State
The Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Ahmed Usman Ododo in a Group Photograph With Beneficiaries of CRF Disbursement, Including the SSG, Royal Majesties, the SPC, Kogi ACReSAL, and Other Invited Guests
The Executive Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Lormen Alia, The Deputy Governor, ACReSAL TTL and NPC Presenting Cheques for The Disbursement of $25,000 Community Revolving Fund (CRF) to Respective Communities in Benue State
Sere CRFMC in Receipt of Cheque, Indicating The Disbursement of CRF Funds, Sere Community, Nasarawa State
Official Disbursement of CRF funds in Yobe State By The Deputy Governor, His Excellency Hon Idi Barde Gubana, Community Members And Other Stakeholders
Distribution of Energy Efficient Cooking Stove in Kogi State
Distribution of Energy Efficient Cooking Stove in Gamawa LGA, Bauchi State
ACReSAL Vanguards, Adamawa State
Environmental Club at Community Sec. School Okene, Kogi State
Training on Operation And Maintenance of Delphino Plough Held at Kano State
FAO Step-Down Training in Zamfara, FCT And Kwara Respectively
FAO Step-Down Training Organized by Bauchi State
Benue State ACReSAL Step-Down Training of FAO Train The Trainer’s Workshop
Tractors Being Assembled to Begin Implementation in FCT
Distribution of Tractors, Plateau State
33 Nos. Tractors Support For CRF, FLID, e.t.c. Benue State
Provision of Tricycle For Community Waste Management, Gombe State
Courtesy Visit to Brigade Commander 3-Brigade Bukavu Barracks, Kano State
Sensitization Visit to Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State
CIG Grading Process, North Bank Community, Benue State
CIG Capacity Building, Juwara Community, Bauchi State
HRH Abubakar Aliyu Emir of Yamaltu Receiving Sensitization Materials During The SPMU’s Visit to The Emirate – Gombe State
Stakeholder Engagement And Community Sensitization With The Obaro of Kabba at Omigbo, Kabba LGA, Kogi State
Visit to Kazaure Emirate, Jigawa State
Yobe ACReSAL Team Presenting Advocacy Kits to His Royal Highness, The Emir of Fika, Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, Yobe State
ACTIVITIES
Q2 - 2024
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CIG Implementation
CIG Implementation
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Climate Smart Agriculture
Hybrid Cucumber Cultivated From Greenhouse Farming System, Plateau State
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Collaboration with Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP)
Signing of MOU With NEP – ACReSAL And NEP Coordinators
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Community Climate Resilience
Students Using The Streetlight to Study at Night/Relaxation at Utoro in Okene LGA in Kogi State
Street Lighting, Nasarawa State
Solar Electrification, Ichwa IDP Camp, Benue State
Sensitization & Distribution of Farm Input, Ichwa IDP Camp, Benue State
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Community Engagement
Stakeholders’ Engagement at Galadiman Muri’s Palace Jalingo, Jalingo LGA of Taraba State
Kwara ACReSAL Team With His Royal Highness, Etsu of Patigi During a Courtesy Visit on Rehabilitation of Lata Grazing Reserve
Community Sensitization, Yobe State
Mammoth Crowd in Ngamdu, Borno State During The Sensitization Sessions
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Construction of Solar Borehole
Solar Borehole With Water Trough For Animals In Gubuchi Village, Makarfi LGA, Kaduna
Solar Powered Boreholes in Kogi State
Faskari Community Members Utilizing Solar Powered Borehole
Solar Powered Borehole Operating at Full Capacity in Agber Village, Makurdi LGA, Benue State
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CRF Activities
The Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Ahmed Usman Ododo in a Group Photograph With Beneficiaries of CRF Disbursement, Including the SSG, Royal Majesties, the SPC, Kogi ACReSAL, and Other Invited Guests
The Executive Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Lormen Alia, The Deputy Governor, ACReSAL TTL and NPC Presenting Cheques for The Disbursement of $25,000 Community Revolving Fund (CRF) to Respective Communities in Benue State
Sere CRFMC in Receipt of Cheque, Indicating The Disbursement of CRF Funds, Sere Community, Nasarawa State
Official Disbursement of CRF funds in Yobe State By The Deputy Governor, His Excellency Hon Idi Barde Gubana, Community Members And Other Stakeholders
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Distribution of Clean Cook Stove
Distribution of Energy Efficient Cooking Stove in Kogi State
Distribution of Energy Efficient Cooking Stove in Gamawa LGA, Bauchi State
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Environmental Clubs/Entities
ACReSAL Vanguards, Adamawa State
Environmental Club at Community Sec. School Okene, Kogi State
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FAO Training
Training on Operation And Maintenance of Delphino Plough Held at Kano State
FAO Step-Down Training in Zamfara, FCT And Kwara Respectively
FAO Step-Down Training Organized by Bauchi State
Benue State ACReSAL Step-Down Training of FAO Train The Trainer’s Workshop
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Farm Input Distribution
Tractors Being Assembled to Begin Implementation in FCT
Distribution of Tractors, Plateau State
33 Nos. Tractors Support For CRF, FLID, e.t.c. Benue State
Provision of Tricycle For Community Waste Management, Gombe State
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Sensitization Activities
Courtesy Visit to Brigade Commander 3-Brigade Bukavu Barracks, Kano State
Sensitization Visit to Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State
CIG Grading Process, North Bank Community, Benue State
CIG Capacity Building, Juwara Community, Bauchi State
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Stakeholder Community Engagement
HRH Abubakar Aliyu Emir of Yamaltu Receiving Sensitization Materials During The SPMU’s Visit to The Emirate – Gombe State
Stakeholder Engagement And Community Sensitization With The Obaro of Kabba at Omigbo, Kabba LGA, Kogi State
Visit to Kazaure Emirate, Jigawa State
Yobe ACReSAL Team Presenting Advocacy Kits to His Royal Highness, The Emir of Fika, Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, Yobe State
Outputs & Impacts Q2 - 2024
Community Climate Resilience
Community Strengthening
Community Investments
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Agreed Action 2
Agreed Action 1
Driver Training Sessions (Kogi, Gombe And Borno Respectively)
Adamawa Teams During The Project Management Development for Professionals (PMDPro), Pullman Institute, Paris, France
Gombe Teams During The Project Management Development for Professionals (PMDPro), Pullman Institute, Paris, France
Radio Session, Benue State
Road Walk Sensitization At Etahi Okene In Kogi State With Community Secondary School Environmental Club
University of Jos Students Visit Kanawa Forest, Gombe State
Counterpart Funding
Environmental Safeguards, Katsina State
LGPMC Members During Their Inauguration at Damaturu, Yobe State
Inauguration of LG Implementation Committee, Kogi State
Delivery to DDA Dept. Federal Ministry of Environment
Delivery to Dept. of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment
Delivery to Fed. Min of Agriculture And Food Security
Delivery to Fed. Min of Water Resources
Ongoing Remodelling of National Center for Remote Sensing, Jos, Plateau State
Weather Station Equipment Installed at The State Secretariat – Kaduna State Ministry of Environment
Installation of Hybrid Solar Inverter With Lithium Battery Back Up at Katsina SPMU Office And State Ministry of Environment
Installation of Solar Power, Soil And Water Quality Laboratory Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano State
FCT PMU Takes Delivery of Procured Vehicles For MDA Strengthening
Kebbi State ACReSAL Supported the State Ministry of Environment, Agric and Water Resources With Hilux Vehicle Wach, Received by Respective Hon. Commissioners
Hon. Commissioner For Finance Handing Over Kogi ACReSAL Operational Vehicles to Ministries of Environment, Water Resources And Agriculture
FPMU Conference Room
2-day Sovereign Green Bond Stakeholder Forum
Official Launching of 50X2030 Initiative by the Honourable Minister of Environment, Hon. Balarabe Abass Lawal
ACTIVITIES
Q2 - 2024
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Agreed Action
Agreed Action 2
Agreed Action 1
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Capacity Enhancement
Driver Training Sessions (Kogi, Gombe And Borno Respectively)
Adamawa Teams During The Project Management Development for Professionals (PMDPro), Pullman Institute, Paris, France
Gombe Teams During The Project Management Development for Professionals (PMDPro), Pullman Institute, Paris, France
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Communication Activities
Radio Session, Benue State
Road Walk Sensitization At Etahi Okene In Kogi State With Community Secondary School Environmental Club
University of Jos Students Visit Kanawa Forest, Gombe State
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Counterpart Funding
Counterpart Funding
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Environmental Safeguards
Environmental Safeguards, Katsina State
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Fiduciary and Institutional Arrangement
LGPMC Members During Their Inauguration at Damaturu, Yobe State
Inauguration of LG Implementation Committee, Kogi State
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Handover of Vehicles
Delivery to DDA Dept. Federal Ministry of Environment
Delivery to Dept. of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment
Delivery to Fed. Min of Agriculture And Food Security
Delivery to Fed. Min of Water Resources
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Infrastructural Strengthening
Ongoing Remodelling of National Center for Remote Sensing, Jos, Plateau State
Weather Station Equipment Installed at The State Secretariat – Kaduna State Ministry of Environment
Installation of Hybrid Solar Inverter With Lithium Battery Back Up at Katsina SPMU Office And State Ministry of Environment
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Infrastructural Support Kano
Installation of Solar Power, Soil And Water Quality Laboratory Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano State
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Institutional Strengthening
FCT PMU Takes Delivery of Procured Vehicles For MDA Strengthening
Kebbi State ACReSAL Supported the State Ministry of Environment, Agric and Water Resources With Hilux Vehicle Wach, Received by Respective Hon. Commissioners
Hon. Commissioner For Finance Handing Over Kogi ACReSAL Operational Vehicles to Ministries of Environment, Water Resources And Agriculture
FPMU Conference Room
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Stakeholder Engagement
2-day Sovereign Green Bond Stakeholder Forum
Official Launching of 50X2030 Initiative by the Honourable Minister of Environment, Hon. Balarabe Abass Lawal
Outputs & Impacts Q2 - 2024
Institutional Strengthening and Project Management
Institutional and Policy Strengthening
Project Management
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Successful installation of solar electrification has been achieved in 12 Federal MDAs as well as states; drastically reducing utility costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean, sustainable and dependable power supply
Result Framework Indicator
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Media Center
Catch up with all ACReSAL project events as they hold across the North.
FAQs
Before you dive into the ACReSAL Academy, here are a few things to know
What does the acronym “ACReSAL” stand for?
The acronym “ACReSAL” stands for Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes. It is a World Bank assisted Project aimed at addressing the challenges of land degradation and climate Change in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale.
Our Mission
To address environmental challenges arising from Climate Change and poor land-use practices in Northern Nigeria.
Outcomes - Intermediate Results Indicator
Component A
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Component A
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Component B
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Component C
Component A: Dryland Management
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Component B: Community Climate Resilience
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Component C: Institutional Strengthening and Project Management
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ACReSAL Sub-Projects
Climate-Smart Rainfed Agriculture
This project provides support to farmers at the household level to optimize climate-smart rainfed agriculture practices, particularly relating to crops. Investments could include water and soil conservation, optimizing farm management (improved crop varieties, Integrated Pest Management; soil and water testing technologies), controlling invasive species, and supporting value chains. Climate change risks include rainfall variability, droughts, floods and increase of average temperature, making rainfed agriculture more vulnerable.
There is significant opportunity to unlock the potential of enhanced rainfed agriculture, thus building climate resilience and moving farmers beyond subsistence farming towards sustainable community level investments specific climate smart rainfed agriculture for farmer/producer groups. Crops cover much of the landscape in the project area (57%) and provide the main source of food and livelihoods.
Yet, crop productivity has been declining due to a series of factors, including underinvestment, overexploitation, a changing climate, and security threats. Agricultural area expansion and imports are the primary means to meeting increasing food demand; yet agricultural expansion is a driver of desertification, which in turn reduces agricultural productivity, generating a vicious circle of overexploitation.
To break this cycle, the project will invest in water and soil conservation, optimizing farm management (improved crop varieties, Integrated Pest Management; soil and water testing technologies), value chain development, and small equipment to increase labor efficiency.
Community Revolving Fund
Community revolving funds (CRFs) present higher potential for sustainability and scaling-up. CRF implemented in World Bank-supported projects at scale, especially in East Africa, to support investments by community-based groups, including farmer groups in micro watersheds. The CRF would be a community level fund to support ACReSAL-supported and registered community/farmer groups to undertake investments for climate-smart rainfed crops interventions.
The registered community/farmer groups will prepare investment/business plans and apply for loans from the CRF. The investment/business plans will be appraised and approved by the local government. The CRF would support ACReSAL registered community/farmer groups in approximately 2800 communities in target watersheds.
To ensure that the CRF is impactful and meets the needs of women, implementation components of the CRF may be piloted under an impact evaluation before potential scale-up within the project.
ACReSAL will kick-start the implementation of CRF in 5-10 pilot states and it will be gradually scaled-up to other states.
Desertification Control
Desertification exacerbates declining agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and poverty challenges in northern Nigeria. Desertification results in soil erosion, loss of soil nutrients, and low retention of soil water, which slows down plant growth and leads to a decline in the productivity of agricultural lands. Desertification is the process of degradation of drylands, such that they become progressively less suitable to support human populations. Specifically, it is defined by the UNCDD as “the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. It is a gradual process of soil productivity loss and the thinning out of the vegetative cover because of human activities and climatic variations, such as prolonged droughts and floods.” Other characteristics include a rise in the reflective capacity (albedo) of the surface for solar radiation, a considerable and permanent loss of perennial plants, especially woody shrubs and trees, increased soil erosion and impoverishment by wind, gully, and sheet erosion of soils by occasional heavy rainfalls.
The Government of Nigeria has established several initiatives in the agricultural sector to combat desertification including afforestation and reforestation programs, dissemination of proven agricultural technologies and sustainable agricultural practices, implementing water management projects such as dams to give sufficient water for users, including livestock, and promotion of efficient energy sources.
Several efforts to stop and reverse desertification are complicated by the need to feed a rapidly increasing population in a region where natural resources are dwindling, and over 90 percent of national food production depends on smallholder farmers who lack the capacity to increase food production without degrading land. The two main causes of desertification and drought are direct human activities and physical factors such as climate change.
Although, many of these efforts initiated by the Government have yielded significant results, and several under the Great Green Wall Sahel-wide initiative of the African Union, there is still a need to create a large scale sustainable natural resources management initiative to address land degradation which has led to drought, desertification, drought and scale-up cost-effective land restoration practices. Thus, the Federal Government of Nigeria has now requested the assistance of the World Bank in addressing this problem of desertification and drought in northern Nigeria.
In light of the foregoing, the Federal Government of Nigeria has, with the support of the World Bank, commenced the implementation of a large-scale investment operation, the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL). This multi-sector project aims to help develop a more integrated, spatial approach to build community resilience as well as improve the sustainable productivity of its natural resources.
The national commitment is evidenced by Nigeria’s intention to restore 4 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 as part of the AFR100 Initiative and the Bonn Challenge. To that effect, a target of 1 million hectares has been set as target for restoration at the end of the ACReSAL project in 2028. This will assist in minimizing the ugly incidences of herders-farmers conflicts. ACReSAL interventions will improve land use planning and help a wide range of communities adapt to evolving dryland conditions with an end target of 3.4 million direct project beneficiaries
Farmer-Led Irrigation Development
North and central Nigeria are rich in shallow groundwater resources, with about 7 million ha of cropland with groundwater resources within a depth of 25 m. The project will support farmers at the household level to increase irrigation, including small-scale solar-powered irrigation.
FLID initiatives are demand-driven, where farmers are provided with information and practical avenues to access the equipment that they need from private sector suppliers. Interventions include knowledge transfer about technology, affordable finance, and linkages to markets. Farmers are encouraged to take up opportunities based on commercial farming with strong private sector involvement (equipment suppliers, financing institutions and market off takers).
Individual irrigation has been promoted in many Government programs, the most well-known being the three FADAMA programs that achieved significant successes. Promoting FLID is one focus of the ACReSAL project because there are substantial natural resources that can be accessed, particularly shallow groundwater, and there is real potential to make a good farming profit from irrigated agriculture especially when using renewable energy resources such as solar.
Forest Management
Forest areas have critical functions in dryland management strategies for maintaining ecosystem integrity, supporting livelihoods, and slowing desertification.
Charcoal production is an economically important sector, but in Nigeria it is considered as one of the major drivers of deforestation (particularly in Bauchi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi States). Forest Management and Conservation (State and local forests), gazetted forest reserves are under the responsibility of state and local governments.
The project will support the government’s efforts to improve the management and conservation of forests, increase presence of personnel, offices, transportation, communication, management plans, etc. Improved access to fuelwood will be provided by supporting plantations with fast-growing species and to strengthen non-timber forest product value chains for forest-dependent communities. To address challenges identified in the forestry sector, the project will set up a combination of incentive-based agroforestry schemes, agricultural intensification, bush fire control, establishment of fuelwood plantations on degraded gazetted forest lands or in other communal land.
This subcomponent will also support national parks which are considered to be particularly at risk, and which form major parts of the prioritized watersheds under the project.
Landscape Restoration in Community-Selected Degraded Areas
Using an approach pioneered by FAO in both northern Nigeria and other dryland areas in western Africa, using the Delfino plough which mimics the traditional half-moon water harvesting technique. It is composed of hybrid agroforestry models on communal lands which include plant species chosen by the communities, which produce non-timber forestry products, such as: fodder, acacia (gum Arabic), balanites, bee-keeping, nuts, mushrooms, and mixed planting with grains such as millet and sorghum. Improved pasture and rangeland management and restoration could also be included. Prioritized community infrastructure investments can also be supported. In community-selected degraded areas, the project will scale-up a restoration approach pioneered by FAO. The investment activities for community-led landscape restoration for the ACRESAL Project are: Provision of Delfino ploughs, tractors and other equipment. Access to agricultural inputs, sowing, planting, maintenances. Value chain investments (examples: hay, acacia, balanite) → Storage facilities → Support for processing enterprises. Establishing community nurseries for selected agroforestry species. Extension services to support community led landscape restoration activities. Procurement of motorbikes, vehicles and provision of technical assistance (support field activities)
Oasis Restoration
There are over 200 traditional oases in northern Nigeria distributed as follows: Yunusari, Yobe (60 oases), Yusufari Karasuwa, Yobe (61 oases), Sokoto/Kebbi (26 oases), Jigawa (60 oases). 51 Oases are the cradle of cultivars adapted to local conditions and constitute a natural heritage of plants for multiple uses including fodder, condiments, and medicinal and aromatic plants. Over-exploitation, climate change, and the absence of community-based water and land management systems have resulted in the rapid degradation of critical oases. This has had multiple adverse impacts, such as: (a) degradation of ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling, decomposition and soil respiration, water and soil conservation, together with the reduction of biomass for carbon sequestration and gas regulation; (b) loss of unique breeds (or varieties) and their associated diversity, particularly pollinators and soil organisms adapted to local conditions; (c) collapse of a resilient food production base for local and global communities; and (d) out-migration and the resulting conflicts between competing users of over-exploited natural resource bases. The ACReSAL project will focus resources on some of the most vulnerable oases.
Sand Dunes Control
According to Government geological data, there has been a 400 percent increase in sand dunes over the last twenty years. In some cases, these sand dunes cover entire villages, impacting agricultural lands leading to a decline in agricultural outputs and livestock production as well as severe socio-economic impacts (such as loss of livelihood and migration). It has been reported that sand dunes have encroached on 30,000 hectares of land in parts of Yobe State. ACReSAL will target resources to the stabilization of sand dunes. The control of sand dune migration will also stabilize the soil, restore the vegetative cover, improve micro-climates and build resilience of affected communities. Improved vegetative cover will improve carbon sequestration and mitigate climate change. Climate change have amplified the frequency and severity of drifting sand dunes and its effect on many communities in the extreme northern fringes of the country. The control of sand dunes by the project will restore vegetation cover, reverse land degradation and restore soil productivity. These will build resilience of the affected communities to climate change and reduce out-migration. The vegetation cover and stabilized soil will facilitate carbon sequestration. Similarly, the fire control investments and activities under this activity will also reduce GHG emission.
Water Resources Management
The project will invest in water resources management activities, such as, construction of new and/ or rehabilitation of existing small dams/ reservoirs; rehabilitation, replacement and/or decommissioning of deep boreholes; rehabilitation and construction of associated hydraulic infrastructure (including, borehole heads, pumps and meters); and development and/or improvements of irrigation and drainage networks to make water safe and clean water available for irrigation and domestic purposes. Water is a limiting factor to agricultural productivity and food security because the rainy season lasts 3 to 4 months only in most parts of the north. Irrigation will enable farmers to cultivate their lands all year round which will make them nutritionally and economically resilient to climate change. While making water available, this project will also ensure this is done in a safe manner. Therefore, flood and sedimentation control structures such as check dams, levees, retaining walls, embankments, culverts, bridges, concrete channels, grouted riprap, and stream bed rehabilitation, among others would be provided to prevent and mitigate the impacts of floods. The project will also support sensitization, mobilization and organization of communities to manage erosion, control flooding and prevent disasters. These activities will ultimately build resilience of systems and people to climate change.
Wetlands Restoration
For wetland restoration, targeted investments will be carried out in selected wetlands to restore their ecological functions.
Investments will include wetland inventories, definition of buffer protection areas, zoning, banks restoration, monitoring systems, water management, biodiversity conservation, invasive species control, jobs and community microprojects, management, overfishing management, climate change adaption action plans, education campaigns.
Implementation Arrangements for ACReSAL Components & Subs
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Ministries And Partners
