Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia of Benue State has commissioned 33 new tractors and disbursed N380,000,000 ($250,000.00) to community interest groups.
The funds are allocated for climate-smart agricultural activities under the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) scheme of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) program.
Governor Alia, who has already paid One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) as counterpart funds for the ACReSAL program, reaffirmed his administration's commitment to supporting the program for the benefit of the people of Benue State.
He praised ACReSAL's efforts in environmental conservation and expressed pride in collaborating on such a significant project to improve the lives of Benue's people. He announced the immediate establishment of ACReSAL as a new agency of the state government to facilitate knowledge and skills transfer.
According Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, MNIPR, Governor Alia highlighted the shared challenges faced by Benue and other states, including high poverty rates, environmental fragility, conflicts, natural resource degradation, low agricultural productivity, and climate-related risks. He emphasized that addressing these challenges requires collective efforts across various sectors.
The governor urged CRF beneficiaries to manage the funds diligently and assured that the 33 tractors commissioned would benefit over 33,000 households in the state annually.
Dr. Joy Iganya Ajene, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank Nigeria office and Task Team Leader for the ACReSAL project, commended Benue State for the successful implementation of the program. She urged the state government to continue strengthening institutions to maximize the program's benefits.
Dr. Prince Abdulhamid Umar, National Project Coordinator for the ACReSAL Project, also lauded Governor Alia and his government for their support and expressed satisfaction with the program's success in the state.
Hon. Ugwu Odoh, Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment, and Climate Change, appreciated the governor for his support and noted the ministry's role in the program's success.
Builder Victor Ama, State Project Coordinator for Benue ACReSAL, explained that the program aims to address land degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria, increase agricultural production, reduce poverty, and improve living standards. He disclosed that the project covers 19 Northern States including the FCT, Abuja, and runs from June 2022 to March 2028.
In addition to commissioning the tractors, N380 million was disbursed to different Community Interest Groups (CIGs) to support climate-smart agriculture activities in targeted watersheds in Makurdi and Vandeikya LGAs, benefiting several communities.
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