The Benue State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources has undertaken an oversight visit to the Benue State Project Management Unit (SPMU) of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Makurdi, to assess the project’s implementation, achievements, challenges and contributions to agricultural development and environmental sustainability in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the Committee Chairman, Hon. Manger Manger and Hon. Ezra Nyiyongo, members of the Committee, underscored the importance of legislative oversight in promoting accountability, transparency and effective implementation of government-supported development projects.
They also sought clarification on the level of activities undertaken by the project, particularly those relating to its agriculture component, as well as the utilisation of available resources and challenges affecting implementation.
In his response, the State Project Coordinator, Benue ACReSAL, Bldr. Victor Ama, explained that the project largely depends on donor financing to implement its planned interventions, noting that delays in funding had slowed down activities during the year. He, however, expressed optimism that the anticipated Additional Financing (AF) would provide the needed resources to accelerate implementation and facilitate more interventions across the state.
Ama clarified that although the project operates across several thematic areas, the Ministry of Environment oversees its institutional coordination and drives its day-to-day activities. The State Project Coordinator, however, acknowledged the importance of the agriculture component and expressed optimism that anticipated funding would create opportunities to expand interventions in the sector.
He further highlighted some of the project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity through climate-smart agriculture, explaining that the SPMU has continued to deploy its technical personnel to communities to educate farmers on improved and more sustainable farming practices, despite prevailing funding constraints.
Bldr. Ama also disclosed that some agricultural equipment had already been procured and was awaiting distribution, adding that the project was exploring appropriate ways of deploying the equipment to achieve meaningful benefits for farmers and communities across the state.
On the project’s sustainability, the SPC explained that ACReSAL was initially designed as a six-year intervention and had progressed through nearly five years of implementation. He noted that the FPMU was actively engaging relevant stakeholders and development partners to secure additional financing to consolidate existing gains, sustain ongoing interventions and expand the project’s impact.