By Olukayode Idowu
The Federal Government has assured of its willingness to support the World Bank supported projects to build watersheds in 2,800 communities of the 19 North states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu gave this promise during a high-level discussion with the World Bank and the AGRO-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Federal Project Management Team in his office in Abuja.
The team was in the office of the Minister yesterday, to brief him on ACReSAL Project implementation status. ACReSAL is a 6-year World Bank Assisted Project in 19 Northern states and FCT, the project will partner with approximately 2,800 communities in the targeted watersheds.
The project was approved by the World Bank Board of Directors in December 2021 and became effective on the 9th of June 2022, with its Project Development Objective (PDO) to increase the adoption of sustainable landscapes management and enhance livelihood in the targeted watersheds in Nigeria, it has three key components mainly Dryland Management, Community Climate Resilience and Institutional Strengthening and Project Management.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Joy Agene, Senior Environment Specialist, World Bank and Task Team Leader 1 ACReSAL briefed the minister that part of the requirement for project implementation take-off is the approval of the workplan by the lead ministries, (Ministries of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development) and appeal to the minister for his participation in the forthcoming ACReSAL workshop where the workplan from all the participating states would be looked into by steering committee of ACReSAL which the minister is a co-Chairman.
She also informed the minister that Federal Ministry of Water Resources will be playing a key role in the project; under the project component A, Ministry of Water Resources would be responsible for the development of 20 strategic watershed plan.
Dr. Salisu Dahiru, the National Project Coordinator, ACReSAL informed the minister that ACReSAL is the first of its kind among other project in Nigeria that is complex and domicile in three ministries to achieve great mile stones within five months, this he said is as a result of the harmony and cooperation the project has received from the three ministries.
He noted that the workshop/clinic will serve as a training ground for especially 10 new states that were not part of NEWMAP and also an avenue to consolidate on the workplan for effective project implementation.
Minister of Water Resources while welcoming the team, noted that World Bank is an institution the Federal Government of Nigeria partners with and the Ministry of Water Resources is carrying out its mandate, and the actual focus is on Nigeria. The minister said that he understands the importance of having a workshop especially at this effective stage of the project. He expressed his joy that Ministry of Water Resources will be very much involved in the project implementation and assured the team of all the necessary support as well as collaborations with Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Rural development towards successful implementation of ACReSAL project.
