World Bank adds $500 million to Nigerian climate project
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Tribune Online
The World Bank approved an additional $500 million for Nigeria's agro-climate resilience project in semi-arid areas, bringing total investment to $1.2 billion. The programme covers 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, with more than 4.4 million beneficiaries, according to the World Bank.
The World Bank approved an additional $500 million in financing for its Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in Nigeria. The funding brings the programme's total financing to $1.2 billion, from an initial $700 million, according to the World Bank Group.
The additional funds will finance landscape restoration, water resource management, improved agricultural productivity and the protection of vulnerable populations in the 19 participating states in northern Nigeria as well as the Federal Capital Territory. The programme has already introduced sustainable management practices on about 550,000 hectares of degraded land. More than 4.4 million people have directly benefited from its interventions, including ecosystem restoration, improved agricultural infrastructure and the development of economic activities adapted to climate change.
The financing will also extend the project's operational period until 30 November 2031. The extension is intended to give federal and state management units more time to scale up field interventions and strengthen the participation of local communities.
Implementation is based on coordination between the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Water Resources. The World Bank team overseeing the project, led notably by Dr Joy Iganya Agene and Dr Manievel Emmanuel Sene, as well as engineer Chinedu Umolu, praised the participation of the federal government, the governors of the states concerned and local communities.
