By Abbas Nazil
Kebbi State has emerged as a national leader in climate resilience and land restoration after its State Project Management Unit under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project received an Award of Excellence at the ACReSAL Pre-Mid Term Review Mission 2025.
The award followed a highly competitive assessment involving presentations from 20 ACReSAL peer states across Nigeria, where Kebbi State distinguished itself among all participants.
The peer states that participated in the review included Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Pre-Mid Term Review Mission was organised to evaluate progress, results delivery and overall effectiveness of ACReSAL interventions being implemented across participating states.
During the exercise, each State Project Management Unit presented detailed reports covering all ACReSAL components, with emphasis on land restoration, climate resilience building and livelihood support.
Presentations were assessed by independent evaluators drawn from academia to ensure objectivity, technical depth and professional credibility in the judgement process.
Evaluation criteria focused on performance across all project components, quality and reliability of data presented and clarity of demonstrated results.
Assessors also examined the extent to which interventions translated into measurable impacts on degraded land restoration, strengthened climate resilience and improved livelihoods at community level.
Institutional coordination, sustainability of interventions and alignment with national and ACReSAL development objectives were also key factors in the assessment.
Kebbi State’s presentation stood out for its strong use of verifiable evidence, clear articulation of outcomes and convincing demonstration of impact across project areas.
The state was particularly commended for restoring degraded landscapes, enhancing adaptive capacity to climate risks and delivering tangible socio-economic benefits to beneficiary communities.
The recognition reflects the commitment of the Kebbi State Government, the leadership of the ACReSAL State Project Management Unit and the dedication of field teams implementing interventions on the ground.
Officials described the award as validation of consistent effort, effective coordination and results-driven climate action.
Kebbi State reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining and scaling up interventions that protect ecosystems, support livelihoods and secure a resilient future for coming generations.
