The Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has commissioned the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) in the state, with a promise to provide the enabling environment for the project to succeed.
The governor made this remark in Jalingo, the state capital, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at the commissioning of ACReSAL office complex.
Gov Jefas said: “The government on its part will continue to give the required support and provide the enabling environment for the project to succeed on its mandate. All I require of you is good teamwork and dedication to your assigned roles and responsibilities to continue rendering quality services to our people.”
He remarked that this is the reason that when he came into office, he immediately banned the unsustainable and massive felling of trees for whatever purpose until due process and documents are obtained from the professionals or regulatory agencies.
This ban, according to him, was necessary to mitigate against the ravaging impacts of climate change, reduce vulnerability to climate change, and also change people’s attitudes towards sustainable living.
Commissioner of Environment and Climate Change, who also doubles as the Chairperson, Steering Committee of Taraba State ACReSAL Project, Hajia Aishat Barde, gave the welcome address. She elaborated the aims and objectives of the project, highlighting that ACReSAL is a World Bank assisted project aimed at addressing the challenges of land degradation and climate Change in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale.
The project is also aimed at increasing the implementation of sustainable landscapes management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
ACReSAL project is being implemented in the 19 Northern States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change under the leadership of the Commissioner, Aishat Barde, is the lead implementing ministry for the project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Aquatic Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
ACReSAL, to which mission is to address environmental challenges arising from climate change and poor land-use practices, is also in line with the Five-point Agenda of Dr. Agbu towards creating an ecologically friendly environment in Taraba State.
Hajia Barde said the Taraba ACReSAL Project has completed the construction of 11 solar-powered boreholes located in Jalingo, Gashaka, Yorro, Lau, Ardo Kola, Bali, Donga, Kurmi, and Wukari LGAs. According to her, these and many more would not have been possible without the enabling environment, commitment, and support of the environmentally friendly and greening Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas.
According to her, the project, through the support of the state government, constructed and furnished the ACReSAL office complex in Jalingo, renovated and furnished additional office block and also raised seedlings for planting, which she said the Governor would be invited to commission in a short while.
“In order to complement His Excellency’s efforts in greening Taraba and curbing the issue of illegal felling of trees, the ACReSAL Project has extended campaigns against deforestation to Local Government Areas and encouraged afforestation. So far, the Project has been able to identify over 50,000 hectares of gazetted land and planted over 27,000 assorted tree seedlings in Bakin Dutse, Ardo-Kola LGA, to green the environment,” Barde said.
In his speech at the occasion, the ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Mr. Joshua Ismaila, appealed to the governor to support by paying the state government’s counterpart funding for the project.
Dignitaries at the event include the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Commissioners, the Secretary to The Government of Taraba State, Barr Gebon Kataps, the Chief of Staff, the Chairman Task Force on Environment, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and the Taraba State ACReSAL Special Project management unit team, among others.
The occasion also witnessed the commissioning of ACReSAL State office complex which was commissioned by Governor Kefas.
