Project inaugurates Waste Management Facility, Distributes 14 Tricycles

The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has commissioned a waste management facility in the Wako community and distributed 14 tricycles to support waste collection in Sheda, both in the Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

The mandate secretary for the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Abdullahi Ango, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the facilities to boost economic activities in their areas.

He said the project is not limited to the Kwali Area Council but covers all six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

Ango stated that the waste management facilities, including toilets provided for some communities, as well as the tricycles given to Community Interest Groups (CIGs) in targeted catchments, will improve sanitation and help curb disease outbreaks.

According to him, the CIGs that benefited were selected based on needs assessment and their ongoing activities in their respective areas.

The mandate secretary, who is also the chairman of the ACReSAL project committee, revealed that more special projects are underway for some councils.

The FCT ACReSAL project coordinator, Mrs Caroline Opara, said the scheme is designed to address community challenges under a new initiative and put an end to open defecation.

She said the tricycles were given to Community Interest Groups (CIGs) committed to sustaining sanitation, preventing the indiscriminate dumping of waste, and boosting their economic livelihoods.

Opara said plans are in the pipeline for ACReSAL to execute a project that will address erosion in the Gwagwalada Area Council.

Responding, the Etsu of Wako, Abdulazeez Usman, commended ACReSAL and the FCT Administration for considering the needs of rural dwellers, stating that the initiative is a welcome development.

He pledged his leadership’s commitment to protecting the facility, ensuring it serves the purpose for which it was constructed.

Amina Mustapha, the national project coordinator, stated that the project aims to enhance the health environment across the FCT.