The Niger State Project Management Unit (SPMU) of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project actively participated in the ACReSAL Mid-Term Review (MTR) held at the prestigious Lagos Continental Hotel. The review meeting brought together key stakeholders, project teams, and development partners from across participating states to assess progress, share lessons learned, and strengthen implementation strategies.
The Mid-Term Review serves as a critical milestone in the lifecycle of the ACReSAL project, providing an opportunity to evaluate achievements recorded so far, identify implementation gaps, and realign project activities with its core development objectives. The participation of the Niger ACReSAL SPMU underscores the state’s commitment to ensuring effective project delivery and achieving sustainable environmental outcomes.
Representatives from Niger State led by the State Project Coordinator “Mal Raji Shehu Adam” and commissioner of environment and climate change, who is also the chairman state steering committee “Hon. Abubakar Musa” engaged in comprehensive discussions centered on project performance, financial management, environmental safeguards, and the use of geospatial tools in monitoring and evaluation. Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening data accuracy, improving reporting systems, and enhancing the impact of interventions across catchment areas.
The review also provided a platform for cross-learning among states, where best practices and innovative approaches to land restoration, afforestation, watershed management, and community engagement were shared. Niger State delegates contributed insights from their field experiences, highlighting successes in stakeholder collaboration and ongoing efforts to promote sustainable land and water management practices.
In line with ACReSAL’s broader objectives, the meeting reinforced the importance of building resilience among vulnerable communities, improving livelihoods, and addressing the challenges of climate change through integrated landscape management. The discussions further emphasized the role of technology—particularly Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—in ensuring accurate delineation of intervention areas and effective tracking of project outcomes.
The Niger ACReSAL SPMU reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the recommendations from the Mid-Term Review, including strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and ensuring transparency in project execution. The team also pledged to intensify efforts in data-driven decision-making to maximize the impact of interventions across the state.
The successful participation of Niger State in the Mid-Term Review reflects its proactive approach to project implementation and its dedication to contributing meaningfully to the overall success of the ACReSAL initiative in Nigeria.