The Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat and Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, Lawan Kolo Geidam, has emphasized the need for greater synergy among stakeholders to achieve the project’s objectives in the Federal Capital Territory.

Geidam stated this during the quarterly meeting of the ACReSAL Project Technical Committee, held recently at the Project Office in Gwarimpa, Abuja, He stressed the important role of the Committee in adding value to the workplan developed by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for implementation in the Federal Capital Territory. 

He highlighted that the project’s objectives are closely aligned with the FCT Administration’s initiatives to address urbanization and environmental degradation challenges and complementing its efforts to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the growing population of the FCT through strategic agricultural investments.

Geidam charged the Committee members, drawn from various Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) of the FCT Administration, to offer their expertise and support to the PIU, emphasizing that their collective contributions would significantly enhance the Unit’s ability to deliver on its core mandate of addressing large-scale land degradation, enhancing community resilience and improving community livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices, environmental conservation, and socio-economic empowerment.

In his words, “This meeting has been convened to enable us to assess progress, identify challenges and map out a strategic plan for the future of the ACReSAL project in the FCT.”

He further emphasized the importance of sharing ideas and institutional expertise to add value to the workplan to ensure it aligns  perfectly with the Project Development Objective (PDO) of the ACReSAL Project.

Geidam commended the PIU for its outstanding performance, citing notable achievements such as successful engagement activities, Community Interest Groups (CIGs) formation and preparations for the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) disbursement, which he hopes will be realized within the next few months. 

He also expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minister of State, FCT Dr. Mariya Mahmoud for her support and active participation in the project’s activities, specifically highlighting her excellent coordination of the recent agricultural inputs and machinery distribution to CIG’s in the FCT.

In her presentation, the FCT ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Mrs. Caroline Opara, provided an update on the progress of the project in  FCT, affirming that the project is making steady progress, with the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) delivering high-quality services in line with the World Bank’s standards and under the guidance of the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU)

Opara revealed that the recent interventions which includes the provision of   eight (8) solar-powered boreholes, 250 standalone solar streetlights and assorted agricultural inputs, are yielding desired impacts in beneficiary communities. She also disclosed that construction of 21 additional boreholes is underway in several communities, while tree planting efforts to reclaim hundreds of hectares of degraded land are in progress.

Opara expressed delight that the increased momentum of engagement activities by the PIU is having positive results, with more communities in the FCT showing enthusiasm and support for the ACReSAL Project.

She reported that studies and designs for dam rehabilitation and gully erosion remediation have reached advanced stages which will pave way for the required intervention to begin soon.

In their respective remarks, Technical Committee members reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the ACReSAL Project towards ensuring the realization of its objectives in the Federal Capital Territory.