The Nigerian government has channelled more than N 12 billion to about 9,648 beneficiaries across 135 rural communities in 15 Northern states as part of its Community Revolving Fund Programme under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) initiative.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during the seventh edition of the 2025 ministerial press briefing series.
Mr Lawal said the intervention is geared toward reinforcing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain and boosting climate adaptation in regions susceptible to environmental shocks.
He noted that as of 22 March 2025, $8.6 million (over N12 billion) had been released to 345 communities in the participating states, impacting 9,648 individuals 5,397 men and 4,251 women.
“These funds are being applied to enhance agricultural production, processing, marketing, and storage infrastructure,” he said.
The ACReSAL project, a joint venture between the Nigerian government and the World Bank, is being executed in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The minister highlighted that the programme had restored 178,235 hectares of degraded land and directly supported over one million people, with women making up 50 per cent of beneficiaries.
Indirectly, over 13 million Nigerians have gained from the project’s ripple effects.
To curb environmental crimes and boost forest protection, Mr Lawal revealed that the National Park Service had received 11 operational vehicles and six new ranger outposts under ACReSAL’s forest security component.
In support of mechanised agriculture, the project has also delivered 245 tractors and 1,450 hand-held tillers to 56,873 small holder farmers, along with drought-tolerant seedlings, organic fertilisers, and solar irrigation systems to increase productivity and reduce drudgery.
Additionally, the minister announced a strategic collaboration between ACReSAL and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to conduct Nigeria’s largest agriculture-focused survey under the global 50×2030 initiative.
This effort aims to bridge critical data gaps and inform sound policy decisions.
“The Federal Government remains unwavering in its commitment to uplifting rural populations and repositioning agriculture as a resilient and productive sector,” Mr Lawal stated.
By Dare Akogun
