The World Bank has rated the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a high-performer in the successful implementation of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, holding it up as a benchmark after a three-year review.
The endorsement came during a field visit by a high-level World Bank delegation, led by Practice Manager for West and Central Africa, Mrs. Ellysa Baroudy, to intervention sites and beneficiary communities in Kwali Area Council of FCT.
Expressing satisfaction after engaging with residents in Pukafa community and Sheda 1 village, Baroudy declared the project a resounding success.
Speaking during a royal homage to the Etsu of Kwali, she noted that although the World Bank Group has been the financier, the relevant FCT stakeholders knew how to deploy the resources to make a difference in people’s lives.
Baroudy said hearing beneficiaries testify to how ACReSAL has so far changed livelihoods was proof that it is a successful project in the FCT.
“It is always difficult to implement a program, but ACReSAL has succeeded in Nigeria. I am truly amazed by the diversity of the cultures, the diversity of agriculture, the diversity of states, of which you are also a microcosm,” she said.
“We don’t always have successful projects, but this is a successful project. So, I really want to thank everybody within the ACReSAL family for your efforts. I am truly touched.”
In a similar vein, the Task Team Leader (TTL) for the ACReSAL project in Nigeria, Dr. Joy Iganya Agene, explained that before engaging with communities, the ACReSAL team pays homage to the traditional rulers before beginning any activity.
Agene added that the Practice Manager, who represents Nigeria and 22 other countries in Western and Central Africa, was instrumental in mobilising resources not just for the project, but also for broader initiatives in water resources, environment, forestry, and climate change financing.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman Ango, said that since its inception, the FCT Administration has regarded the ACReSAL Project as a true game-changer.
He added that the project’s governance structures, notably the Steering Committee headed by the Honourable Minister of State for the FCT and the Technical Committee, have provided exemplary oversight in project implementation.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator for the FCT, Mrs. Caroline Opara, described Kwali as the heart of ACReSAL intervention programmes, as every component of the project has been implemented there.
She noted that the Practice Manager’s engagement with the beneficiaries would allow her not just to see the projects but also to hear directly the stories of the people whose lives are being transformed by ACReSAL. She attributed the project’s positive results mainly to community ownership and participation.
The Etsu of Kwali, HRH Luka Nizassan III, validated the ACReSAL project as one of the most successful in the country, confirming to the World Bank officials that its funding were achieving the desired results.
The monarch, who is the chairman of the Council of Chiefs in Kwali Area Council, assured that traditional rulers in the FCT were committed to ensuring that every part of the project was implemented appropriately.
“As traditional leaders, we guide and identify where this intervention is most needed, and we also ensure that the interventions reach the intended beneficiaries. That is what the FCT has been able to achieve. We continue to dedicate our efforts to ensure projects reach their desired goals,” he said.
“I want to congratulate the World Bank for investing once again in a noble venture with good results.”
The ACReSAL project, financed by the World Bank Group, focuses on community climate resilience, dryland management, contingent emergency response, and institutional strengthening.
