Kwara State government with the support of the World Bank, has commenced an environmental project aimed at curbing the devastating effects of global warming, environmental degradation, and related health challenges in the state.

Speaking during the formal inauguration of the state steering and technical committees of Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) in Ilorin, the state commissioner for environment, Abosede Olaitan Braimoh, said that the state government had paid N500 million counterpart fund for the project implementation.

The commissioner, who described ACReSAL as a multi-sectoral project involving ministries of environment, agriculture, and water resources, added that other sectors like finance and planning would provide the project with the required staff support too.

Buraimoh explained that aside from the payment of N500 million counterpart fund, the state government had also approved and released N5million to rehabilitate and minimally equip the project coordination office in the state ministry of environment.

She said the project would be implemented through a conscious build-up of agricultural and climatic resilience of the environment in a strategic and sustainable manner.

The commissioner expressed hope that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq would approve and ensure the full realisation of the objectives of the project in the state in earnest.

Inaugurating the committees, Kayode Alabi, the state deputy governor, said they (committees) were part of the state's demonstration of readiness to effectively kick-start the project in Kwara.

"There is no gain saying that the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led administration has been demonstrating the desire to sustainably develop the state through meaningful collaborations with sub-national, national and international institutions to improve the state across the board. It is indeed a manifestation of the governor's concern and yearnings for a better Kwara.

The deputy governor encouraged officials of the government and other members of the committees to be dedicated and painstakingly perform their duties in line with the laid down procedures in order to rid the state of environmental and climatic challenges within the shortest time.