The FCT Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project organised a two-day step-down training program for extension officers from the six area councils .

According to the FCT ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Mrs Caroline Opara, the training was organised to enhance the expertise of the Officers in large-scale landscape restoration, leveraging the curriculum provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Mrs. Opara highlighted the the critical role extension officers play in the success of rural sustainability initiatives. She stated, ” As ACReSAL, a project deeply invested in rural areas, we recognize the crucial role you play in ensuring the sustainability of our interventions.
We must therefore work together to ensure ACReSAL’s investments translate into long-lasting positive change for our rural communities.”

The training covered a range topics designed to equip the extension officers with the necessary knowledge to promote and implement effective landscape restoration practices in their various communities.

There were presentations by key Officers of the Project amongst who were the Mr Kayode Sanni, Agric Officer; Mrs. Oladoja Magret, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; and Mr. Olalekan Ifelola, Natural Resource Officer.

Their presentations focused on an overview of the concept , sustainable land management practices and Agroforestry, importance of community engagement and methods for assessing the impact of landscape restoration .

So far, FCT ACReSAL has trained over 520 community members, including 12 extension agents. Present at the two-day event were representatives from the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100), which is partnering with ACReSAL in its land restoration initiative..