Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has reaffirmed its commitment to the successful implementation of the Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project across Nigeria.
The Minister, Professor Joseph Utsev, made this known during the ongoing Mid-Term Review Steering Technical Committee meeting of the project in Kaduna state.
Professor Utsev, who also serves as Co-Chairman of the ACReSAL Steering Committee, said the ministry would continue to support watershed management, improve flood forecasting and early warning systems, and promote sustainable water infrastructure through the River Basin Development Authorities and Hydrological Services.
He described the review meeting as timely, noting that it provides stakeholders an opportunity to assess progress made so far, identify implementation gaps, and address operational challenges affecting the impact of the project.
The minister added that stronger collaboration among relevant sectors and institutions would be critical to achieving the objectives of ACReSAL.
He listed priority areas for the next phase of implementation to include integrated water and landscape management, reliable hydrological and climate data for planning, effective risk management, and scaling up sustainable interventions.
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who chairs the ACReSAL Steering Committee, commended the project’s impact on communities and urged state governments to enact laws that would sustain its gains after the project ends.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the governor of Kafuna state, Senator Uba Sani, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, and the World Bank technical team.
