By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Alimat Care Foundation (ACF) has trained residents of Gella community in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State on climate-smart agriculture and indigenous erosion control to improve food production and strengthen resilience to climate change.
The training was announced on Monday by the Executive Director of ACF, Mr Ibrahim Bello, during the Knowledge Management and Project Close-out Workshop held in Mubi South.
Bello said the workshop marked the completion of a 12-month pilot project funded by the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEF SGP).
He said the project, titled “Indigenous Erosion Control Through Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices,” was implemented to address soil erosion through nature-based solutions.
According to him, the initiative introduced vetiver grass to stabilise erosion-prone areas and improve environmental resilience within the community.
Bello added that the project also promoted dry-season farming through solar-powered irrigation systems to boost food production and improve livelihoods.
He said beneficiaries cultivated rice, wheat, cucumber and soybeans during the irrigation season using solar-powered water pumps provided under the project.
The executive director said the foundation would continue supporting the community beyond the project period to sustain the knowledge and skills acquired by beneficiaries.
“The impact of the intervention cannot be fully realised within one year; we will continue working with the community to strengthen food security and support local climate action,” he said.
Also speaking, the ACF Programme Lead, Ms Yanasim Dagal, said the intervention was designed following climate risk and needs assessments conducted with members of the Gella community.
She said the assessments identified land degradation and soil erosion as major threats to agricultural productivity in the area.
“Crop yields have declined significantly over the years, leaving many farmers with poor harvests despite cultivating their farms. However, restoring degraded land and improving soil conservation will enhance food production and strengthen community resilience,” she said.
Dagal called on governments, development partners and civil society organisations to invest more in climate-smart agriculture and community capacity building.
She also urged residents to avoid practices that contribute to climate risks and environmental degradation.