The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has launched stakeholder consultations to develop Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMPs) for five critical river basins in northern Nigeria: Malenda, Kaduna-Mariga, Gurara-Gbako, Oshin-Oyi, and Sarkin-Powa-Kaduna.

The engagement, convened in Ilorin, Kwara State, forms part of a nationwide initiative to create 20 SCMPs across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory. National Project Coordinator Abdulhamid Umar, represented by Adam Shettima, stressed that stakeholder collaboration is vital to crafting "bankable catchment plans that attract investment and deliver tangible community benefits."

The SCMPs will systematically:

- Identify priority intervention zones

- Assess existing natural resources

- Map degradation threats (erosion, pollution, siltation)

- Design integrated strategies for sustainable land and water management

Umar emphasised: "These plans are not theoretical documents they will drive on-ground resilience for dryland communities facing climate pressures." The initiative aligns with Nigeria's commitment to restoring 4 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the Great Green Wall initiative.

He revealed that nine SCMPs have already been validated, while the remaining eleven will be completed within the next ten days.

In addition to the strategic plans, Umar noted that ACReSAL is also developing 200 micro catchment management plans, which will focus on smaller but critical landscape units that dovetail into the broader catchment framework.

The project, funded by the World Bank and implemented in collaboration with federal and state governments, is designed to combat land degradation, conserve water resources, restore degraded ecosystems, and boost livelihoods in Nigeria's climate-vulnerable northern region.

Kwara State Commissioner for Environment, Hajiya Nafisat Musa-Buge, described the SCMP process as vital for ensuring the sustainability of watersheds, which she referred to as the "lifeline of communities, economies, and ecosystems."

She affirmed Kwara State's commitment to the ACReSAL initiative and expressed optimism about the benefits the project would deliver to rural communities and the state's environment.

"Watershed management is not just an environmental necessity it's a socioeconomic imperative," she said.

The Commissioner confirmed that SCMPs for Wase-Taraba, Shemankar-Katsina-Ala, and Hadejia-Jama'are had already been developed and validated. The next phase, she said, will target seven ACReSAL states, including the FCT.

The ACReSAL project is one of Nigeria's most ambitious environmental programs, aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, addressing climate risks, and enhancing adaptive capacity for millions of people in semi-arid regions.