By Faridat Salifu
In light of a recent development, the Ndarile of Mokwa Kingdom in Niger State, Lile Shaba Aliyu, has expressed his community’s gratitude to the Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Nigeria mission team for their unwavering commitment to resolving the persistent 10km long gully erosion that has plagued the locality for the past decade.
In a heartening display of communal solidarity, efforts have been employed to intercept the run-off and prevent the complete washing away of houses. However, the Ndarile lamented the sluggish progress in constructing a retaining wall over the last six years, estimating that the current pace would necessitate the next 60 years to complete the project.
In response to these concerns, the Co-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the ACReSAL Project from the World Bank, Manivel Sene, assured the people of Mokwa Community in Niger State that decisive measures would be taken to stabilize the disturbance and initiate the process of restoring the land. Sene stressed the importance of identifying the primary cause of the erosion to prevent future gullies, emphasizing the adoption of good land management practices, maintenance of even infiltration rates, and the preservation of a healthy plant cover within the community.
Additionally, Lile Shaba Aliyu revealed the decision of the Traditional Council to bestow the titles of Haske Mokwa and Shugaba Aiki Mokwa upon the Co-Task Team Leader (TTL) Manivel Sene and the National Project Coordinator (NPC) of ACReSAL Nigeria, Abdulhamid Umar, respectively, thus inducting them as honorary members of the community.
The upcoming project has been entrusted to the supervision of Mr. Garbo Usman Ibeto, the State Project Coordinator, and is anticipated to commence in due course, signifying a significant step forward in addressing the longstanding gully erosion issue in the Mokwa Kingdom.