Northern Stakeholders Support ACReSAL’s $500m Additional Financing
Linus Aleke in Abuja The proposed $500 million additional financing for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has received broad support from stakeholders across northern Nigeria, according to
In Abuja, representatives from the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project received backing from numerous stakeholders across northern Nigeria, as reported by Think Nigeria First Initiative (TNFI) during a press conference. TNFI's Director General, Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni, revealed that governors, traditional leaders, farmers, herders, and women’s groups have all endorsed the initiative's second phase due to its proven benefits in their areas.
Tsanni highlighted the involvement of various governors, including those from Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kebbi, Kaduna, Jigawa, Benue, and Plateau states, who have physically inspected or inaugurated ACReSAL initiatives. Bauchi State pledged its counterpart funding for the envisioned next phase. Traditional establishments, including the palaces of the Shehu of Borno, Emir of Argungu, and Emir of Zazzau, have cooperated closely with the project.
In Wurno, a 27-year farming veteran expressed renewed optimism on an irrigation scheme. Nguru witnessed herders and fishermen return to a wetland that had been arid for 12 years. Tsanni emphasized that women, comprising 47% of the project's 4.4 million direct beneficiaries, and university students in Kogi, Kebbi, and Plateau states are being trained in modern greenhouse farming within their campuses.
Federal ministers of environment, water resources, and agriculture jointly attended the project's mid-term review in Kaduna. The director general confirmed that the participating states have released N22 billion in matching funds, while the $9.5 million Community Revolving Fund disbursed to 381 communities is being repaid and re-advanced.
Benue and Nasarawa states have established state agencies to sustain the project's assets. Tsanni urged all northern stakeholders, including governors, traditional leaders, legislators, and community leaders, to publicly acknowledge the project's benefits. He also called for the federal government and the World Bank to finalize the financing arrangement without further delay.
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