Nigeria is set to expand climate adaptation efforts, restore degraded landscapes and strengthen rural livelihoods across its northern states following the World Bank’s approval of an additional $500 million financing for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project.
The funding will support efforts to improve water resource management, rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, tackle soil erosion and reduce the impact of flooding in communities increasingly exposed to climate change.
By 2031, the additional financing is expected to support the restoration of 1.4 million hectares of land and benefit approximately 6.6 million people across northern Nigeria.
The project will prioritise watershed rehabilitation, sustainable land management, improved flood control and the development of climate-resilient rural livelihoods. It is also expected to improve household incomes, strengthen agricultural productivity, enhance soil health and vegetation cover, and reduce conflicts between farmers and pastoralist communities over natural resources.
The investment comes as northern Nigeria faces growing environmental pressures, including desertification, land degradation, water scarcity and increasingly unpredictable rainfall, which threaten agricultural production and rural economic activities.
According to the World Bank, ACReSAL has recorded significant progress since its launch in 2022, particularly in improving natural resource management and strengthening the resilience of communities vulnerable to climate shocks.
The project has introduced sustainable landscape management practices across approximately 550,000 hectares, exceeded its target for improved catchment management and reached more than 4.4 million beneficiaries.
“ACReSAL has demonstrated that investments in climate-resilient landscapes can improve livelihoods, strengthen food and water security, and help communities in the parts of Nigeria most vulnerable to climate shocks,” said Mathew Verghis, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.
He said the additional financing would enable the country to expand proven interventions, restore more degraded land, increase agricultural productivity and strengthen institutions responsible for sustaining environmental improvements.
The World Bank said the new funding would build on the planning and institutional structures established under the existing programme, shifting the focus towards larger-scale investments with measurable economic and environmental benefits.
Iganya Joy Agene, Task Team Leader for ACReSAL, said the additional financing reflected the strong results achieved by the project and would help translate its institutional foundations into broader climate adaptation investments.
“The additional financing reflects the strong results achieved under ACReSAL and will focus on translating the planning and institutional foundations already established under the project into larger-scale investments that improve climate adaptation, food security, water security, jobs, and economic opportunities,” she said.
The initiative is implemented by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
It covers all 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture, livestock production and natural resources.
Beyond environmental restoration, the programme is expected to contribute to Nigeria’s broader food security and economic development objectives by improving the productivity of agricultural land and reducing competition over increasingly scarce natural resources.
The investment also highlights the growing importance of climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable landscape management in addressing the economic consequences of climate change across Africa’s semi-arid regions.
For Nigeria, the success of the expanded programme will depend on effective implementation, coordination among government institutions and the ability to sustain investments in land restoration, water infrastructure and community-based natural resource management.
