Restores degraded landscapes in northern Nigeria

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening  climate resilience and restoring degraded landscapes across Northern Nigeria, where millions of people in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory continue to grapple with unreliable rainfall, degraded farmlands and shrinking water bodies.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, stated this in Abuja during the Appraisal and Validation Workshop for nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMPs), describing the environmental challenges confronting the region as urgent and far-reaching.

According to the minister, the problems go beyond environmental degradation, posing direct threats to food security, livelihoods and community stability across the region.

“These are not abstract problems. They threaten the food on our tables, the income of farmers and herders, and the stability of our communities,” Lawal said.

He noted that the Federal Government is working to empower communities to sustainably manage natural resources, adding that the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project represents a strategic national response to the environmental and climate challenges facing northern Nigeria.

Lawal explained that the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is spearheading the initiative, with the Strategic Catchment Management Plans serving as a roadmap for coordinated action.

He said the plans are designed to identify priority areas, mobilise resources and coordinate interventions among stakeholders to ensure sustainable land and water management.

The minister disclosed that 11 of the plans had already been endorsed, while the remaining nine — covering Malenda, Oshin-Oyi, Gurara-Gbako, Aloma-Konshisha, Benue-Mada, Sarkin-Pawa-Kaduna, Zungur-Gongola, Gaji-Lamurde and Hawul-Kilange — are currently undergoing appraisal and validation.

“The plans are products of extensive consultations, expert analysis and inputs gathered during engagements held last year. They belong to the communities, states and institutions that live and work within these catchment areas,” he said.

Lawal urged stakeholders at the workshop to actively participate in the review process to ensure that the plans become practical and implementable tools for environmental restoration and sustainable development.

“These validated plans should serve as living instruments to guide investments, restore degraded lands and improve livelihoods across the region,” he added.

Also speaking, the National Project Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project, Abdulhamid Umar, commended the World Bank for its consistent support, technical guidance and commitment to the initiative.

Umar described the project as one of the most comprehensive landscape restoration efforts currently being implemented in the region.

He noted that the plans cut across several ACReSAL states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

“These plans are more than technical documents. They reflect the voices and concerns expressed by communities during consultations last year. They highlight key challenges such as deforestation, soil erosion, shrinking water sources and overgrazed lands, while also proposing practical, community-driven solutions,” Umar said.

In his remarks, a consultant with MECON Geology and Engineering Services, Chuka Offodile, explained that soil characteristics across the affected areas vary significantly, influencing water storage capacity and irrigation potential.

According to him, several soil types in the region possess strong structural composition and high water-holding capacity, making them suitable for both rain-fed agriculture and supplementary irrigation systems with efficient moisture retention.