By Segun Adewale in Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has pledged to scale up climate-resilient agriculture and restore degraded lands as it hosted a Hybrid Additional Financing Pre-Appraisal Mission of the World Bank-supported ACReSAL project in the state.
The state Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi yesterday, said the engagement was more than a funding discussion.
According to him, “It is a sounding call to strengthen our partnership with the World Bank and other global initiatives towards solving multi-dimensional climate change issues, particularly across hard-to-reach communities,” Jatau told stakeholders, development partners and project teams.
The Governor said the proposed additional financing will target agro-climatic resilience. Key areas include the restoration of over 9,000 hectares of degraded land, institutional strengthening of the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, and expanded support to vulnerable communities through youth engagement and revolving fund schemes.
He added that the state will also deploy 100 all-terrain vehicles for agricultural extension services, establish new field offices, and procure equipment for erosion control and land restoration.
“This is about giving our rural people the tools to testify about the impact of these projects on their well-being,” the Governor stated.
The Federal Government also commended Bauchi’s performance under ACReSAL – Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes. National Project Coordinator, Mr. Abdulhameed Umar, described the project as “performing,” a rating he said triggered the move for additional funding across 19 northern states and the FCT.
“Bauchi happens to be one of our best-performing states as far as ACReSAL is concerned. We didn’t find it difficult to come to Bauchi because ACReSAL is actually being implemented and delivering results here,” Umar said. He conveyed greetings from the Ministers of Environment, Agriculture and Water Resources.
Task Team Lead of ACReSAL, Dr. Joy Iganya Agene also praised Governor Mohammed’s leadership.
“His Excellency is one of the leading governors under ACReSAL who understands donor funding and the required support,” she said, and urged the state to improve further under the new funding window.
ACReSAL, launched in Bauchi in May 2023, focuses on landscape restoration, climate resilience and improved livelihoods in semi-arid areas.
Dr. Agene said the push for additional financing at mid-term, following a review in Lagos in May/June, reflects strong performance by participating states.
Officials said the mission will review the scope of the additional financing and assess implementation arrangements ahead of final World Bank approval. Jatau assured partners of the state’s political will and counterpart funding to ensure timely delivery, as technical sessions on project design, safeguards and community engagement continue this week.
