World Bank-ACReSAL Nigeria recovers over 178,000 hectares of degraded land in 19 Northern states
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape Project (ACReSAL), a World Bank-supported initiative, has successfully recovered over 178,000 hectares of degraded land across 19 northern states affected by climate change.
Abdulhamid Umar, National Project Coordinator for ACReSAL, disclosed this while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a five-day retreat in Lagos. He said reclaiming 178,235 hectares out of the one million target for six years is a significant achievement toward restoring one million hectares of arable land in the region.
'This project, supported by the World Bank, addresses severe climate change challenges, particularly the encroaching Sahara Desert and land degradation in the 19 northern states. Our efforts aim to reverse land infertility caused by natural and human factors in a region with increasingly erratic rainfall,' Umar stated.
Umar elaborated on the broader impact of ACReSAL: 'Our interventions, including dryland management, community-driven climate resilience activities, and agricultural support, have led to bumper harvests and improved livelihoods for over one million direct beneficiaries in just three years, with over 10 million indirect beneficiaries.'
Looking ahead, Umar addressed project sustainability beyond its initial six-year funding cycle: 'Our strategy includes community ownership, establishing legal frameworks at the state level, and infrastructure development to ensure longevity.'
Dr. Joy Iganya Agene, Task Team Leader for ACReSAL and Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, underscored the project's impact, stressing that ACReSAL represents a significant stride in Nigeria's efforts to build climate resilience and restore degraded landscapes. 'The progress made demonstrates the effectiveness of strategic planning and land preparation,' Dr. Agene explained, adding that ACReSAL is optimistic about achieving 60-70% recovery of the targeted one million hectares in the coming year.
Both Umar and Dr. Agene emphasised the strong commitment and collaboration from the federal government and state governors.
Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Afghan civil servants face bleak Eid after salaries delayed
Abdul Saboor usually treats his children to new clothes for the Eid al-Adha holiday but like many Afghan public sector workers, he is scraping by this year awaiting a delayed salary. The Taliban government has faced recurring difficulties paying civil servants since returning to power in 2021, leaving families grappling with financial uncertainty in one of the world's poorest countries. "We bought only cookies and dried fruits for Eid," said Saboor, which he said would be shared with visiting friends. One of the biggest holidays in the Muslim calendar, Eid al-Adha -- which begins on Saturday -- is celebrated with the sacrifice of an animal shared among family, neighbours and the needy to honour Ibhrahim's, or Abraham's, willingness to sacrifice his son, before God offered a sheep instead. The 45-year-old, who works for the Parwan provincial government's rural development department, was relieved to cash in two months' salary last week, but he put the money directly into paying off debts to shops he'd been relying on for credit. "We couldn't go to some shopkeepers, we were embarrassed," he told AFP. Afghanistan has faced major economic challenges since 2021 and is experiencing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations. "Delays in the payment of wages and salaries point to persistent liquidity constraints and broader challenges in ensuring timely government expenditures," the World Bank said in an April report. Despite signs of recovery, the economic outlook remains "uncertain", the Bank said, with "growing fiscal pressures", a widening trade deficit and entrenched poverty. Public sector workers faced a similar struggle in March, receiving some delayed pay ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. 'Make ends meet' The finance ministry said this week it was in the process of paying all civil servants two months' worth of unpaid salaries, without explaining the delay or saying if future wages would be paid on time. Since the start of June, "almost all of the departments have received their salaries" for two months, spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal told AFP on Tuesday. The Taliban government has not made its recent budgets public -- but experts say security spending has been prioritised at the expense of other departments. On Wednesday morning, a central Kabul bank was packed with government employees shouting for their turn to collect salaries before the Eid holiday. In Kandahar city, government-paid workers also lined up to collect their money, some voicing only gratitude for getting paid. Hayatullah, a 21-year-old teacher in the Taliban heartland province, said he only received one-month's salary. "We will try to make ends meet," he said, refusing to give his full name for fear of reprisal. "But we can't afford the Eid expenses." 'Children's expectations' Last year, the government slashed salaries of women staff who were forced to stay home since the Taliban seized power and prevented them from working in mixed offices. Jobs have been cut from other departments in recent months, though government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in April said reducing staff was a "normal" process aimed at improving efficiency. Mohammad, who works for a government office in Ghor and did not want to give his real name for fear of reprisal, said he had already spent his salary paying back loans to shopkeepers and had nothing left for Eid celebrations. "We received the salaries for two months very late and we have faced a lot of problems during this period," he said. "Eid is coming and when there is no money, it is really worrying -- there are the children's expectations, family's expectations and Eid day expenses," said the 40-year-old who is the only breadwinner for 10 people. "My family has to wait."
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Critical juncture
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam last week declared his government's intentions on the host of difficult problems facing the country. He began with the issue of security. He said Lebanon has achieved 80 per cent of its goals by asserting the Lebanese army's control of the south in accordance with the provisions of the November ceasefire deal with Israel despite daily Israeli violations. While obliged to withdraw completely from Lebanon, the Israeli army has retained what it calls 'strategic posts' several hundred metres within Lebanese territory, arguing they are essential for protecting northern Israeli settlements. While Hizbollah's fighters and arms have withdrawn and Hizbollah arms dumps and posts have been destroyed from the border zone to territory north of the Litani River, Israel continues to target the movement's members wherever they are found and has reportedly killed 150 since the beginning of the ceasefire. This being the case, Hizbollah insists on retaining some weapons. Once Israel stops attacking HIzbollahis, there will be no need for them to bear arms. Last week Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas agreed that Palestinian factions based in the 12 refugee camps in Lebanon must also be disarmed. They said the existence of 'weapons outside the control of the Lebanese state has ended.' They also discussed the 'regularisation' of the existence of 270,000 Palestinians in the country. They are barred from some professions and owing property or businesses and cannot secure public service jobs or access healthcare and social security, Salam told 'The Wall Street Journal,' 'All over the Lebanese territory, the state should have a monopoly on arms. We don't want to put the country onto a civil-war track, but believe me, this is not going to affect our commitment to the need to extend and consolidate the authority of the state.' This will necessitate expanding and army the military to defend the state's sovereignty and territorial integrity and strengthen the domestic police force to impose law and order on a country which has, since independence in 1943, practiced laisser faire across the board. Salam has declared his intention of going on the warpath against endemic corruption and of reforming and restoring public confidence in banks which have contributed heavily to the country's 6-year economic and financial crisis. He said the World Bank and Gulf states have offered Beirut their support in this endeavour. He called for independence of the judiciary and pledged no government interference in the 2000 explosion of a stockpile of amonium nitrate in Beirut port killed 2018,injured 7,000 bs near the port. Investigating judge Tariq Bitar has recently returned to the case and is set to issue an indictment on August 4th, 2025, the fifth anniversary of the blast which shook Lebanon to the core. Salam said discussions have been held with Damascus and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on the repatriation of the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. He said that now that the Assads have left power in Syria 'everything is possible.' Talks between Washington and Tehran over restoration of an agreement to limit Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions has created a favourable atmosphere as well as a commitment by these external powers to 'restore Lebanon,' Salam said. When CNN's Becky Anderson asked Salam if Lebanon would normalize relations with Israel, he took a firm line by saying that his country would stick with the Arab peace plan adopted by the 2002 Beirut summit. This called for full Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territory occupied in 1967, including Syria's Golan Heights, the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem. 'We are committed to peace, but a peace based on the two-state solution.' His reply dismisses her suggestion of a 'path to peace' as the requirement for Lebanese relations with Israel. It can be said that Nawaf Salam is qualified to be Lebanon's prime minister at this critical juncture in the country's recent history. He was born in December 1953 into a highly political family deeply committed to Lebanon. His grandfather reformist Selim Salam was elected to the Ottoman parliament in 1912. His uncle Saeb Salam, fought for Lebanon's independence from France and subsequently served four times as prime minister between 1952 and 1973. His cousin Tammam Salam was prime minister between 2014 and 2016. Nawaf Salam's academic achievements are outstanding. He earned a doctorate in political science from France's Sciences Po, a Master of Law from Harvard Law School, and a doctorate in history from the Sorbonne. He practiced law, lectured at distinguished universities, and worked as a legal consultant in France, the US, and Lebanon. From July 2007 to December 2017, he served as Lebanon's UN ambassador. In November 2017, he was elected to the International Court of Justice, becoming the second Lebanese to assume this post. He attracted international attention by presiding over the South African lawsuit against Israel for committing genocide against Gaza. Following the election of army chief Joseph Aoun as president of Lebanon, Salam was nominated by parliament as prime minister and took up the post on January 14th this year. The fifth general to assume the presidency, Aoun pre-empted Salam, his candidate for prime minister, by vowing to battle mafias, halt drug trafficking, tackle corruption and fight sectarianism. He pledged to promote economic, political, and judicial reform. He pormised to end Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory and 'affirm the state's right to a monopoly on the carrying of arms.' Elected at a time of multiple crises in Lebanon, Aoun has a mighty example to emulate. This was the first general to take power, Fuad Chehab, who assumed the presidency after the country's first civil conflict in 1958. He was an incorruptible, autocratic figure who unified the country, launched reforms and social development, and built state institution. During his presidency, There were five prime ministers, including Saeb Salam. Lebanon hopes the duo of Aoun and Nawaf Salam could match some of the achievements of Chehab and his associates. Photo: TNS
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
Nigeria: Minister urges stronger private sector role in boosting intra-African trade
Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf M. Tuggar, has made a clarion call for the private sector to play a central role in unlocking Africa's economic potential through intra-African trade. Speaking at the Private Sector Roundtable preceding the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), held at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, Tuggar highlighted the urgent need for deeper economic integration across the continent. Addressing an audience of business leaders, diplomats, and policymakers, Tuggar emphasised that Africa stands at a critical juncture — one where business is no longer a peripheral concern but a strategic pillar of regional policy and diplomacy. 'This is the period in which the voice of business is not merely recognised at the margins, but is systematically institutionalised within the core processes of policy formulation and regional economic diplomacy. 'It reflects a deeper entanglement of corporate interests and statecraft, wherein the private sector emerges not as a peripheral stakeholder but as a central architect of economic governance frameworks,' Tuggar stated. While outlining the opportunities, the Minister also presented a stark picture of the current reality. Citing recent data, he revealed that intra-African trade accounts for only 15 percent of total trade on the continent, with the figure dropping to between 12 percent and 13 percent in West Africa. In contrast, intra-regional trade in Asia hovers around 60 percent, and Europe nears 70 percent, highlighting a significant gap. Tuggar pointed out that the constraints to West Africa's economic integration are not a matter of potential, but rather of practical shortcomings — infrastructure gaps, weak coordination, and a lack of sustained political commitment. 'The challenge lies not in envisioning a prosperous, interconnected region, but in establishing the institutional mechanisms, logistical frameworks, and governance consensus required to actualise that vision,' he said. Nevertheless, he acknowledged progress in recent years, citing efforts such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, the Abidjan-Lagos and Abidjan-Dakar transport corridors, SIGMAT, the West African Power Pool, and the planned African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline. 'These are not just abstract ideas — they are West-African-led initiatives that will prove advantageous to businesses across the sub-region in the near future,' he affirmed. Tuggar also expressed concern over rising global protectionism and the reordering of global tariff systems, noting that such developments make regional alignment even more essential. 'In a world witnessing protectionist tendencies from global market leaders, it is only right that neighbours and regional blocs align for the common good of their people. 'The West African response must be clear and deliberate, not reactionary and disjointed. That is why WAES is a timely and strategic platform,' he said. WAES, scheduled for June 20–21, 2025, in Abuja, is a flagship initiative championed by Nigeria's President and supported by other West African leaders. According to Tuggar, the Summit aims to shift the region from dependency to productivity, and from fragmented markets to integrated value chains. 'The idea is to use our size to generate efficient productivity in order to outcompete others in the global market,' he explained. 'A broader West African market will drive down costs and enable our businesses to scale up and compete internationally.' WAES is expected to bring together Heads of State, Ministers, investors, and key stakeholders from across West Africa, along with private sector leaders. The Minister underscored the importance of this inclusion, stating that business voices must directly influence policy decisions. 'When we succeed in integration, when we improve on policy predictability, secure property rights, and the effectiveness of contracts — investors will come,' Tuggar said. 'This is the largest market on the continent, and it must be leveraged.' He emphasized the need for candid conversations between the private sector and policymakers during WAES. 'We're bringing along the decision makers to hear directly from you — to understand the challenges, identify the low-hanging fruits, and even resolve some issues on the spot,' he said. Tuggar urged participants not to underestimate the impact they could have. 'Sometimes it just takes one phone call. We are serious about removing barriers to business so that commerce can thrive,' he said. 'It's not just about size, it's about scale — the kind of scale West Africa provides.' He commended Nigerian companies already operating across the sub-region — in banking, cement, fertilizer, fintech, and startups — as evidence that cross-border business is both viable and beneficial. He concluded by reinforcing the collective nature of the challenge: 'Let's not forget — it's not just Nigerian policymakers involved. Policymakers from other countries are also on board. Heads of State will be there. So let's work together to resolve the problems and build an integrated, competitive West African economy.' As anticipation builds ahead of the June 20–21 Summit in Abuja, Tuggar's message was clear: the future of Africa's economic strength lies in regional collaboration, and the private sector must lead the charge. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
