By Pius Alabi
In its avowed effort towards ensuring adequate implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in the state, the Kwara Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), the Kwara State Project Management Unit (SPMU) continued with its Sensitization Campaign exercise to Lata-Nna Community, to sensitize them on the Project Development Objectives (PDO).
Addressing members of the Lata community in Patigi Local Government Area of the State, the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Alhaji Shamsideen Olatubosun Aregbe notified the people of the community that the ACReSAL project is designed in partnership with the Kwara State Government to bring development and progress to the community.
Importantly, the SPC told the gathering of males, females, old and young at Lata that the project essentially involved restoring of degraded lands, combating desertification and biodiversity protection by creating better opportunities and increase the livelihood of every individual in the community.
He said the need for the sensitization visit was for all the community members of Hausa, Fulani and Nupe to have a buy-in the project.
According to Aregbe, the ACReSAL team was in Lata for the community members to give them unfettered access to the Lata Grazing Reserve when the implementation begins and to seek the consent of the community at large as this calls for familiarization.
The Natural Resource Officer, Mr Hussein Sanni while addressing the community in their dialect, expressed that the project prioritises gender inclusiveness with the women and youth as they are essential key holders for the project execution and success stories.
According to him “ACReSAL will work with all tribes and residents of Lata- Nna community, introduce a system for agricultural processes where every individual including the women and youth have a better income and opportunities to improve their way of life.”
Responding on behalf of the Community, the Village Head, represented by Mallam Ahmed Mohammed Lata, who is also the spokesperson of Lata-Nna Community, commended the Kwara State Government, the World Bank and the ACReSAL Project for the laudable effort towards executing such a huge and beneficial project in their community and assured that the community is determined and would give the necessary support for the success of the project in the area.