Initiative under $700m ACReSAL project aims to restore degraded landscapes, improve water management and strengthen climate resilience across northern Nigeria….
The Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank and other key stakeholders, has begun the validation of nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans designed to improve water resource management, restore degraded ecosystems, and strengthen climate resilience in several states across Nigeria.
The initiative was unveiled on Monday during a workshop for the presentation and validation of the plans in Abuja, bringing together government officials, development partners, and technical experts involved in environmental management.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Mecon Engineering and Services Ltd, Chuka Ofodile, explained that catchments represent natural watershed boundaries that should guide economic and environmental planning.
According to him, these natural systems function as economic zones driven largely by the water resources available within them.
“What these catchments are are natural watershed boundaries, and these boundaries are economic zones propelled by the water resources within them. These resources ultimately determine the future of the catchment,” he said.
Ofodile added that other factors such as geology, mineral deposits, population dynamics, culture, and even religion also shape the development potential of each catchment area.
He noted that the planning framework intentionally minimises political boundaries such as state lines, since river systems and water reservoirs naturally cut across administrative borders.
“River systems do not recognise state boundaries. Water resources and reservoirs often extend beyond state or even international borders. That is why planning must be done based on the natural characteristics of the catchment rather than political lines,” he explained.
According to him, the overall goal of the initiative is to develop sustainable economic zones anchored on responsible water resource management while ensuring long-term environmental protection.
He also emphasised the importance of validation, noting that community participation and stakeholder involvement are critical to the success and sustainability of development projects.
“Validation creates ownership. When projects are designed from the top without local involvement, communities often feel disconnected from them. This process ensures that everyone within the catchment takes responsibility for sustaining the interventions that will follow,” Ofodile said.
He further revealed that technical committees made up of stakeholders from within the catchments would guide the implementation of projects across short, medium, and long-term timelines.
These committees, he explained, will help determine which projects should be prioritised immediately and which should be implemented in subsequent phases.
The approach, he said, is intended to ensure continuity and sustainability of the plans beyond political cycles.
“The plan is to ensure these projects are not like many initiatives that stall after a change in administration. They must be monitored, evaluated, and sustained across generations, regardless of which government is in power,” he said.
Ofodile expressed hope that both federal and state governments would fully support the initiative, possibly by giving it legal backing to guarantee long-term continuity.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said the programme is designed to address serious environmental challenges affecting millions of people across northern Nigeria.
Lawal noted that communities in the region continue to face severe environmental pressures including desertification, erratic rainfall, degraded farmland, and shrinking water bodies.
“As we meet here in Abuja, millions of citizens across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory are facing daily challenges from advancing deserts, unreliable rainfall, degraded farmlands, and shrinking water bodies,” he said.
“These are not abstract environmental issues. They directly threaten food security, farmers’ livelihoods, and the stability of our communities.”
He explained that the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project represents Nigeria’s strategic response to these environmental threats.
The project is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture.
“Our objective is clear: to strengthen climate resilience, restore degraded landscapes, and empower communities to manage their natural resources sustainably,” the minister said.
Lawal added that the Strategic Catchment Management Plans form the core blueprint for the ACReSAL initiative, helping to identify priority areas, mobilise resources, and coordinate actions across sectors.
He noted that eleven of the twenty planned catchment strategies had already been validated, while the current workshop focuses on reviewing the remaining nine.
Also speaking, National Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project, Abdulhamid Umar, represented by Communications Officer Awwal Wara, said the programme was specifically designed to tackle desertification, land degradation, and declining water resources across northern Nigeria.
“For many communities across Northern Nigeria, desertification, drying rivers, and degraded farmlands are not distant issues. They are everyday realities affecting livelihoods and food production,” he said.
Wara disclosed that the ACReSAL project is supported by a $700 million financing package from the World Bank to help build resilience across semi-arid regions of the country.
He explained that the Strategic Catchment Management Plans will guide interventions such as tree planting, improved water resource management, climate-smart agriculture, and other community-based environmental restoration projects.
According to him, the nine catchment plans currently under review include Malenda, Oshin-Oy, Gurara-Gbako, Aloma-Konshisha, Benue-Mada, Sarkin-Pawa-Kaduna, Lungur-Gongola, Gaji-Lamurde, and Hawul-Kilange.
The plans cover multiple 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 go beyond technical documents. They reflect the voices and experiences shared by communities during consultations held last year,” Wara said.
“They identify real challenges including deforestation, soil erosion, shrinking water sources, and overgrazed land, while proposing practical, community-driven solutions.”
He also commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for supporting the project and providing the resources needed to implement the plans.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the World Bank Task Team Leader, Joy Agene, the Director of Hydrology, Henrietta Alhassan, described the validation workshop as an important step toward strengthening sustainable water resource management.
She noted that the catchment plans represent the outcome of extensive technical work and collaboration among government agencies, experts, and local communities.
“Effective catchment management is not only a technical task. It is fundamental to protecting livelihoods, preserving ecosystems, and ensuring long-term development,” Alhassan said.
“The documents being validated today represent the voices of communities, the expertise of practitioners, and the commitment of government and development partners to safeguarding these critical landscapes.”
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