The World Bank is hopeful about restoring one million hectares of agricultural lands in northern Nigeria degraded by desert encroachment, abandoned mining sites, and illegal mining ponds.
They aim to achieve this restoration in the next six years with the support of the federal government and governors of the 19 northern states.
The intervention aims to address environmental degradation issues such as desert encroachment and erosion, which have led to migration of farmers and herders from the region.
Abdulhameed Umar, the national coordinator of Agro-climatic Resilience in Semi-arid Landscape (ACReSAL), expressed this assurance during a two-day workshop for coordinators of ACReSAL from the 19 northern states.
The project’s objective is to devise resilience methods for the affected communities to combat environmental degradation and restore the land for improved farming and agricultural activities, ultimately improving the living conditions of the people.
Garuba Gowon, the Plateau State coordinator of ACReSAL, highlighted that the project seeks to provide technical support to communities, making them more resilient to unfavorable climatic conditions in their respective states.
The overall goal of the ACReSAL project is to achieve environmental and food security in the region. It is a six-year land restoration initiative backed by the World Bank.