Benue State Leads the Way in ACReSAL Project Sustainability

The World Bank Task Team has commended Benue State’s ACReSAL project for its exemplary commitment to sustainability, notably being the first state to declare ACReSAL as an agency.

Dr. Joy Iganya Agene, Task Team Leader, ACReSAL and Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, made the commendation during the opening session of the joint World Bank and Federal Government of Nigeria Hybrid Implementation Support Mission in Benue State.

Dr. Agene praised Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia for his unwavering support in implementing sustainable strategies that have propelled the project’s success. She emphasized the need for continued value for money and meticulous documentation of interventions to ensure the project’s long-term impact.

Abdulhamid Umar, National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, stressed the importance of effective monitoring of distributed tractors and ensuring that Community Revolving Fund (CRF) beneficiaries have access to these resources. He reiterated that ACReSAL’s primary goal is to uplift and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and communities.

In his welcome remarks, Hon. Ugwu Odoh, Commissioner of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, announced that the ACReSAL Project has made visible impacts in the state. He thanked the ACReSAL team for the 33 tractors distributed to farmers last year, which has increased farm areas for cultivation, productivity, and farmers’ incomes.

Presenting the progress report, Bldr Victor Ama, Benue State Project Coordinator for ACReSAL, revealed that the project has also provided over 183 solar-powered boreholes for rural communities and IDP camps, climate-smart farm inputs to farmers, and other livelihood support to vulnerable communities.

He highlighted the project’s ongoing agroforestry activity and the development of an integrated landscape management policy framework for project sustainability.

The ACReSAL Project’s annual Implementation Support Mission aims to assess overall project implementation across states, provide technical support, and resolve bottlenecks. With Benue State’s exemplary commitment to sustainability, the project is poised to make a lasting impact on the lives of smallholder farmers and communities.

ACReSAL: greening the environment, saving lives.