ACReSAL climate resilience project in Nigeria

Stakeholders in northern Nigeria, including governors, traditional rulers, and various community groups, have been advocating for an additional $500 million in financing for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project. Proponents highlight the project’s success in improving livelihoods through climate-resilient agricultural practices, such as greenhouse farming, and the restoration of irrigation schemes and wetlands.

Following these efforts, the World Bank approved the $500 million additional financing package. This brings the total funding for the ACReSAL programme to approximately $1.2 billion. The initiative involves implementing 20 Strategic Catchment Management Plans across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory to combat environmental degradation and secure water resources through integrated landscape management.

However, the project is now facing scrutiny regarding the accuracy of its land restoration reporting. Discrepancies have emerged concerning the reported hectares of restored land. In February 2025, agriculture expert adviser Cyril Bikom stated that ACReSAL had restored 160,000 hectares. By October 2025, National Project Coordinator Abdulhamid Umar reported to a Federal Technical Committee that the figure had risen to over 800,000 hectares, an increase of 640,000 hectares in approximately eight months.

Critics are examining whether these rapid increases represent comparable stages of environmental recovery or reflect issues with how achievements are measured. The accuracy of these metrics is considered critical, as land restoration serves as a primary justification for the project's funding expansion.