The World Bank has approved an additional $500 million in financing for Nigeria’s Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, known as ACReSAL, to strengthen climate adaptation, restore degraded landscapes and improve livelihoods across the country’s northern regions, CNBC Africa reported. The approval, announced on November 6, 2026, expands the programme’s total World Bank financing from $700 million to $1.2 billion. The additional funding is intended to scale up ongoing interventions addressing desertification, water insecurity, land degradation and the growing impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and rural communities.
The financing will support three major areas of intervention. Approximately $310 million is allocated to dryland management, including landscape restoration and sustainable land use; $165 million will support community climate resilience through initiatives designed to improve local livelihoods and strengthen adaptation to environmental pressures; while $25 million is earmarked for institutional strengthening and project management. ACReSAL operates across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, with activities covering watershed rehabilitation, erosion and flood management, irrigation, water harvesting, reforestation and improved agricultural practices. The programme is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with participating state governments and other stakeholders.
The expanded financing comes as Nigeria faces mounting environmental pressures that threaten food production, rural livelihoods and long-term economic stability. For a country where agriculture remains a major source of employment, the ability to restore degraded land, improve water management and strengthen climate-resilient farming systems carries significant economic implications. The additional funding is expected to deepen the programme’s reach and reinforce institutional capacity for sustainable landscape management. Its wider impact, however, will depend on effective implementation, transparent deployment of funds and measurable improvements in the communities and ecosystems the programme is designed to support.
