FG and World Bank launch nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans to restore landscapes and enhance climate resilience

The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the World Bank and other stakeholders, has begun validating nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans to strengthen sustainable water resources management and address environmental challenges across the country.

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Speaking at the validation workshop, Chuka Ofodile, Managing Director of Mecon Engineering and Services Ltd, explained that the plans focus on natural watershed boundaries or catchments, whose development is driven by water resources.

He emphasized the importance of continuous planning, community ownership, and technical committees to monitor short-, medium-, and long-term interventions.

“The essence of validation is for everybody within that catchment to take ownership so that the development of interventions is sustained,” Ofodile said.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that millions in northern Nigeria face threats from desertification, shrinking water bodies, and degraded farmlands, which endanger livelihoods and food security.

The initiative, part of the ACReSAL Project, is designed to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen climate resilience, and empower communities in semi-arid regions. National Coordinator Abdulhamid Umar revealed that the nine catchments include Malenda, Oshin-Oy, Gurara Gbako, Aloma-Konshisha, Benue-Mada, Sarkin-Pawa-Kaduna, Lungur-Gongola, Gaji-Lamurde, and Hawul-Kilange, covering 15 northern states and the FCT.

Joy Agene, representing the World Bank, praised the collaboration, stating that effective catchment management is key to ecological stability and resilient livelihoods.

The project is supported with $700 million in funding from the World Bank and coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Environment, Water Resources & Sanitation, and Agriculture & Food Security.

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The workshop marks a major step in ensuring that Nigeria’s water resources are sustainably managed, with community-centered solutions guiding tree planting, climate-smart agriculture, and improved water management across vulnerable regions.