Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks, the Acting National Project Coordinator, Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) has met with Project lead implementing Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja, to discuss implementation strategies and next steps.
The Ag. NPC during his opening remarks welcomed all participants and stated that ACReSAL is a six-year multi-sectoral project, A project cutting across many sectors in Nigeria which is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Environment and co-led by Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources.
He pointed that the The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management, and to achieve the PDO all the critical stakeholders need to work together and do things differently, adopting a climate smart approach.
He further briefed the meeting that the ACReSAL project will account for a large part of the FGN’s objective of restoring one million ha degraded land out of the 4 million ha target set for broader landscape restoration by 2030. The project will also help reduce the vulnerability of millions of the extreme poor in northern Nigeria, strengthening their own capacity in the management of their environment.
The Ag. NPC revealed that ACReSAL is officially effective and awaiting disbursement, some of the criteria for disbursement such such as workplan development and approval, establishment of Project Management Office are in place while the project awaits the Adoption of Federal-level Security Management Plan.
The meeting deliberated on some critical issues such as the development of quality terms of Reference (TOR), approved work and procurement plans, signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Information Flow and management, Project communication and Visibility, Environmental and Social Safeguards Screening and scoping of all project before implementation, need for MDAs to involve younger officers in Project activities as a succession strategy amongst other of issues.
The Planning meeting was both physical and virtual was attended by representatives of National Space Research Development Agency, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, National Parks, Nigeria Meteorological Agency, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, State MDAs, Federal Project Management Unit etc.
