By Rakiya A.Muhammad
Climate change is not a distant threat but an urgent issue severely impacting agriculture in State, Northern Nigeria, a semi-arid zone.
The pressing nature of this issue is evident as farmers in the area are witnessing their livelihoods jeopardised because of soil deterioration, unpredictable rainfall patterns, and prolonged droughts.
The consequences of these environmental pressures are dire, with reduced crop yields, food insecurity, and economic hardship becoming increasingly prevalent.
Smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture are incredibly severely impacted.
One such affected farmer is Malama Fatima, a 35-year-old Sokoto resident who has cultivated groundnuts and beans for over ten years.
She has noticed a marked decline in rainfall recently, resulting in extended spells of drought. The advance of the Sahara Desert has worsened soil erosion and the disappearance of farmable land.
“Last year was devastating due to the delayed and insufficient rainfall,” she groans.
“Rather than harvesting 12 bags of groundnuts, I only obtained a yield of 2.5 bags. Typically, I acquire 10 sacks of maize, but in the previous harvest, I only reaped one sack.”
Reduced agricultural yields have resulted in food shortages for Fatima’s family. Additionally, livestock numbers have declined because of a lack of grazing pasture and water, lowering additional income.
Fatima was initially sceptical when she learnt about the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project. The $700 million initiative, supported by the World Bank, aims to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change on a multidimensional scale in Northern Nigeria.
The World Bank recognises that economic growth and protecting the most vulnerable require improved environmental and water resource management and resilience against disaster and climate risks.
The ACReSAL, a six-year strategy project, prioritises actions across four components: dry land management, community climate resilience, institutional strengthening and project management, and contingent emergency response.
Despite her initial reservations, Fatima’s need motivates her to attend a community meeting where she learns about crop diversification, conservation agriculture, and water management.
Sokoto is one state executing the project, which aims to build resilience, combat the impact of climate change, enhance livelihoods, increase food security, and provide jobs for youth.
Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu reveals that they disbursed N1 billion counterpart fund for the World Bank initiative.
Fatima and thousands of other Sokoto residents living on the edges of damaged forests in the Dange Shuni, Bodinga, Tureta, Kware, Tangaza, Binji, Yahoo, and Shagari councils will find relief from the ACReSAL project’s massive restoration efforts.
The project involves 7,000 hectares of agroforestry with Moringa oleifera (Zogale) trees which aims to improve food security in 23 communities and benefit more than 40,000 people, both directly and indirectly. Moringa is the plant of choice because of its great therapeutic potential and culinary uses.
The initiative is establishing a 40-kilometre shelter belt in the Wurno local government area to protect farmlands and homes in nine communities from wind damage. By preventing wind-caused crop destruction, the initiative will increase crop yields.
The governor also notes the establishment of a 500-hectare forest enrichment plantation designed to improve the vegetation cover and alleviate sheet and erosion, which threaten the fertile Fadama land in the Wurno catchment areas.
“This work will ensure that the irrigation activities in Wurno and surrounding areas continue unhindered,” he says.
“The ACReSAL project will restore 19,000 cubic meters of water in Lugu Dam and rehabilitate 13,000 hectares of irrigated land in Wurno.”
More than 3,000 farmers in Sokoto state rely on the Wurno irrigation network for their livelihoods; this vital infrastructure allows for the year-round production of high-value cash crops like rice, onions, garlic, and vegetables.
Priotising Inclusivity
Gender-specific issues are becoming more prevalent, especially for female farmers such as Fatima, who have limited access to resources and assistance with climate change adaptation.
Happily, the project focuses on the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
More than 800 men and women have received training in “Grievance Redress Mechanisms and Business Management for the Community Interest Groups (CIGs).”
Dr Joy Agene, the Senior Environment Specialist at the World Bank Nigeria office and Task Leader for the ACReSAL project, underscores the project’s objective of assisting disadvantaged people and enhancing their quality of life.
She harps on including under-represented groups such as women, youth, older people, people with disabilities, internally displaced people, and ethnic and religious minorities.
Ibrahim Umar is the ACReSAL Sokoto Project Coordinator. He speaks further about the initiative in the state.
The project will restore around 5,000 hectares of degraded land in the Saturu Forest Reserve this year, he says.
Umar points out that restoring the Saturu Forest Reserve to its former splendour is in everyone’s best interest.
He discloses their efforts to raise awareness among those impacted by massive landscape restoration projects about the risks of indiscriminate tree felling and the benefits of growing new trees.
Alhaji Nura Shehu Tangaza, Sokoto Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment, acknowledges that fighting climate change is a collective responsibility.
He encourages all stakeholders to contribute to this cause to guarantee a sustainable society.
Traditional leaders, likewise, are declaring their commitment to realising the project’s goals.
The District Head, Shuni Ardon Shuni Alhaji Muhammad Harande, pledges that they will provide the necessary support and cooperation to ensure the activities’ success.
While more people than ever before are taking action on climate change—as noted in the 2023 edition of the Yearbook of Global Climate Action, released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 28 in November of last year—it is not happening quickly enough to keep the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“Climate action needs to accelerate everywhere,” UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell asserts.
“Greater collaboration between Parties and Nonparty stakeholders is an opportunity to radically enhance action towards our collective climate goals.”
In Sokoto, Fatima wants the government to support the broader adoption of climate-resilient techniques because she now understands that creative adaptation strategies and community resilience are essential to guaranteeing farmers a sustainable living.
“To lessen the blow that climate change is dealing to the most defenceless among us,” she says, “we must expand the scope of climate-resilient initiatives.
