The World Bank has said that Nigeria will restore 1.4 million hectares of degraded landscapes and strengthen climate resilience across northern states with an additional $500m financing approved by the Bank for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project.
This is according to a press release on the Bank’s website dated November 6, 2026.
It said the funding, expected to run until 2031, will support watershed rehabilitation, improved water management, erosion and flood control, and efforts to strengthen rural livelihoods.
The project is also expected to benefit 6.6 million people through improved household incomes, reduced farmer-herder and community conflicts, healthier vegetation, better soil conditions and increased agricultural productivity.
The latest financing comes just days after the Federal Government sought another $500m World Bank loan for the proposed Nigeria Infrastructure Financing and De-Risking Platform for Growth and Jobs (INFRAGROW), an infrastructure financing initiative designed to attract private investment into critical sectors of the economy.
The proposed INFRAGROW facility, which is part of a wider $3.85bn financing arrangement, has not yet received approval. The World Bank’s project document lists May 25, 2027, as its estimated approval date.
Speaking on the additional ACReSAL financing, Mathew Verghis, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, said the project had demonstrated how investments in climate-resilient landscapes could improve livelihoods and strengthen food and water security.
“ACReSAL has demonstrated that investments in climate-resilient landscapes can improve livelihoods, strengthen food and water security, and help communities in the parts of Nigeria most vulnerable to climate shocks,” he said.
Verghis added that the additional financing would help expand successful interventions, restore more degraded land, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen institutions responsible for sustaining the gains.
Since its launch in 2022, ACReSAL has introduced sustainable landscape management practices across approximately 550,000 hectares and reached more than 4.4 million beneficiaries, the World Bank said.
The project has also surpassed its target for improved catchment management.
Iganya Joy Agene, ACReSAL Task Team Leader, said the additional financing reflected the results recorded under the programme and would expand investments in climate adaptation, food security, water security and job creation.
“The additional financing reflects the strong results achieved under ACReSAL and will focus on translating the planning and institutional foundations already established under the project into larger-scale investments that improve climate adaptation, food security, water security, jobs, and economic opportunities,” she said.
The Federal Ministry of Environment implements ACReSAL in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The project covers the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting communities vulnerable to climate change while protecting natural resources that support economic growth and food security.