FCT
Ango Receives Draft Reports on FCT Agricultural and Forestry Policies
The Chairman of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project Technical Committee and Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman Ango, has been formally presented with draft reports for two proposed policies aimed at repositioning agriculture and strengthening forest, biodiversity and wildlife management in the Federal Capital Territory.
The draft documents, the, FCT Agricultural Policy and the FCT Forestry, Biodiversity and Wildlife Policy, were presented to Comrade Ango by the Project Coordinator, Mrs. Caroline Opara, during the Technical Committee meeting of the Project held in Gwarinpa.
In his remarks, Comrade Ango commended the project team and consultants for their diligence in developing the policies, a process that began nearly two years ago and involved extensive stakeholder engagement. He expressed confidence that the documents would provide a robust framework to guide agricultural programmes and enhance effective forest management across the FCT.
“I am confident that the policies will stand the test of time given the depth of work that went into them,” he said, adding that the draft reports would be forwarded to the FCT Executive Council for consideration and adoption.
Earlier, Mrs. Opara noted that the FCT had long operated without a comprehensive agricultural policy, while the existing Forestry Act had become outdated and inadequate for current realities. She also briefed the Committee on the outcomes of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Project held in Lagos, which focused in part on plans by the World Bank to roll out additional financing for the ACReSAL Project.
She outlined the criteria for qualifying for the proposed funding and presented the sub-committee’s report on establishing an ACReSAL Agency to ensure the sustainability of project interventions beyond the project lifespan.
During deliberations, members reviewed project implementation and ongoing activities, and unanimously agreed on the need for the FCT to meet all criteria for additional financing in order to scale up impact. They also discussed a suitable name for the proposed agency, which would coordinate all agricultural interventions in the FCT.
In his closing remarks, Comrade Ango stated that all Committee recommendations regarding the proposed agency remain subject to the approval of the FCT Administration. He echoed the remarks of the Honourable Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, who described ACReSAL as “a game changer” for agriculture and environmental resilience in the FCT.
The draft documents, the, FCT Agricultural Policy and the FCT Forestry, Biodiversity and Wildlife Policy, were presented to Comrade Ango by the Project Coordinator, Mrs. Caroline Opara, during the Technical Committee meeting of the Project held in Gwarinpa.
In his remarks, Comrade Ango commended the project team and consultants for their diligence in developing the policies, a process that began nearly two years ago and involved extensive stakeholder engagement. He expressed confidence that the documents would provide a robust framework to guide agricultural programmes and enhance effective forest management across the FCT.
“I am confident that the policies will stand the test of time given the depth of work that went into them,” he said, adding that the draft reports would be forwarded to the FCT Executive Council for consideration and adoption.
Earlier, Mrs. Opara noted that the FCT had long operated without a comprehensive agricultural policy, while the existing Forestry Act had become outdated and inadequate for current realities. She also briefed the Committee on the outcomes of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Project held in Lagos, which focused in part on plans by the World Bank to roll out additional financing for the ACReSAL Project.
She outlined the criteria for qualifying for the proposed funding and presented the sub-committee’s report on establishing an ACReSAL Agency to ensure the sustainability of project interventions beyond the project lifespan.
During deliberations, members reviewed project implementation and ongoing activities, and unanimously agreed on the need for the FCT to meet all criteria for additional financing in order to scale up impact. They also discussed a suitable name for the proposed agency, which would coordinate all agricultural interventions in the FCT.
In his closing remarks, Comrade Ango stated that all Committee recommendations regarding the proposed agency remain subject to the approval of the FCT Administration. He echoed the remarks of the Honourable Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, who described ACReSAL as “a game changer” for agriculture and environmental resilience in the FCT.