The Federal Ministry of Environment has called on ministries, departments and agencies on the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project to brace for rigorous supervision and monitoring of projects to ensure the successful delivery of their objectives.
This charge was given by the permanent secretary of the ministry and chairman of the Federal Technical Committee of ACReSAL, Mr. Ibrahim Idris recently, during the presentation of operational vehicles to lead implementing ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
The presentation of these vehicles is a crucial step toward enabling the project to achieve its fundamental goals of enhancing landscape restoration and livelihood improvement in the participating states.
Idris stressed that meticulous oversight and problem-solving are essential components of effective project management. He drew a parallel to personal investments, stating that without vigilant supervision, investments are at risk of yielding suboptimal returns.
In his welcome address, the national project coordinator, Mr. Umar Abdulhamid shared insights into ACReSAL’s significant impact. With a robust investment portfolio of $700 million, the project addresses landscape degradation issues stemming from desertification, deforestation, climate change, natural causes and human activities. The project, currently in its inaugural year of a six-year lifespan, has already made substantial strides in landscape restoration, reclaiming over 2,000 degraded landscapes.
Abdulhamid highlighted the project’s direct beneficiaries, numbering over 96,529, with expectations of surpassing 60 per cent of its restoration and beneficiary goals by the mid-term review. ACReSAL’s impact extends across land and ecosystem restoration, benefiting individuals and communities alike.
Among the esteemed recipients of the operational vehicles were representatives from various key entities, including the Federal ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Water Resources and Sanitation; Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, department of climate change (Federal Ministry of Environment), department of forestry (Federal Ministry of Environment), National Space Research and Development Agency, department of desertification, land degradation, and drought management, among others.
The Federal Ministry of Environment’s commitment to supporting ACReSAL’s implementing MDAs underscores the government’s determination to drive sustainable development and combat environmental challenges in semi-arid landscapes.
