Hamisu Mu’azu Shira, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Environment and Housing, said the World Bank has approved the sum of $5.9 million for the take-off of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in the state.
Shira disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday the state capital, while explaining that one of the development objectives of the project was to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria.
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He said the ACReSAL project would also strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
WikkiTimes in March reported that Bauchi State along with 18 other northern states were due to benefit from the $700,000,000 environmental sanitation and conservation project from the world bank.
Shira, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Environment for working with the World Bank to come up with the ACReSAL project and reaffirmed the determination of the state government to implement the project according to its guidelines.
He said some of the activities to be carried out in the implementation of the project include tree planting, and the distribution of 6,000 efficient biomass cooking stoves and fuels to avert indiscriminate cutting of trees in communities.
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Others include the construction of 10 solar-powered boreholes and provision of livestock drinking points in 10 animal rearing communities across the state. In addition, three farms produce processing centres would be established to enhance the value chain under CRF and grains storage facilities would be provided for small farmer clusters among others.
He said: “We are happy to inform the good people of Bauchi State that World Bank has approved our budget proposal for the take-off of ACReSAL project. As you know, Bauchi State is among the 19 Northern States selected to benefit from the project.”
Shira applauded the Governor Bala Mohammed for his support to access the approval not only to the state but “other states too to access their approval because of his commitment.”
