Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State has warmly welcomed participants from six states attending a three-day training program on Participatory Conflict Monitoring, Reporting, and Learning for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project. The event, aimed at addressing land degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria, is being held from July 23 to 25, 2024, in Jos, Plateau State, in collaboration with Search for Common Ground (SFCG).
The ACReSAL Project, supported by the World Bank, targets the environmental and agricultural challenges in the 19 northern states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The training sessions are simultaneously taking place in Bauchi State for the northeast and Kaduna State for the northwest.
Representing Governor Mutfwang, the Commissioner of Environment, Climate Change, and Mineral Development, Peter Gwom, inaugurated the training at Crispan Hotel. He emphasized the importance of the program in mitigating climate change impacts and integrating conflict resolution into environmental projects.
“ACReSAL is a crucial intervention by the World Bank addressing environmental, agricultural, and water resource challenges,” said Gwom. “This training is vital for equipping our project teams with the skills needed to handle conflicts, ensuring the sustainability of our initiatives.”
Henrietta Nyazi Alhassan, representing the National Project Coordinator, Abdelhamid Kumar, highlighted the significance of peacebuilding within the ACReSAL framework. “Under component B of ACReSAL, we focus on community climate resilience, which includes peacebuilding to ensure our interventions can proceed smoothly in conflict-prone areas,” she explained.
Mr. Garaba Gowon, Plateau State ACReSAL Project Coordinator, underscored the training’s relevance, particularly during the farming season when conflicts often arise. “This training is timely as it prepares our teams to handle conflicts in communities where we implement our projects, such as tree planting and greening activities,” Gowon said.
The event has drawn participants from Plateau, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and the FCT, all part of the north-central zone. The simultaneous training sessions across the north aim to build the capacities of state program teams in conflict mitigation and community engagement.
Mr. Godwin Okoko, Head of Program Implementation at Search for Common Ground, noted the collaborative nature of the training. “We aim to build the capacities of ACReSAL teams in conflict-sensitive approaches and stakeholder engagement to ensure the project’s success across the 19 northern states,” Okoko stated.
Participants, including those who had not visited Plateau State in years, expressed optimism about the training’s impact and the peaceful environment in Jos. The program aims to equip them with the necessary tools to manage conflicts and ensure the sustainability of environmental projects in their respective communities.
