Gombe State Coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project (ACReSAL), Dr Sani Jauro, has announced that the project has disbursed more than ₦223 million in interest-free loans to community groups in Gombe State, three years into its implementation.
Jauro disclosed this while briefing journalists in Gombe on the achievements of the World Bank-supported project, which is being implemented across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the intervention has recorded measurable outcomes in agriculture, water resources, and environmental management.
According to him, the ₦223 million was disbursed to 10 Community Interest Groups under the Community Revolving Scheme across the Bajoga and Gombe catchment areas.
He noted that nearly 90 per cent of beneficiaries invested in agriculture-related businesses, leading to the creation of about 1,979 jobs.
He stated that the scheme operates as a revolving fund, allowing beneficiaries to repay after business operations so that others can benefit.
He added that loan recoveries have already commenced.
Jauro highlighted that Gombe has been ranked among the top-performing states in loan recovery, a development that prompted Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to approve the expansion of the scheme to more than 45 additional community groups.
He further identified mechanisation as one of the project’s most impactful agricultural interventions.
He confirmed that 12 modern tractors have been procured and distributed across the state’s 11 local government areas, with one retained as a backup.
He mentioned that the tractors are fitted with tracking technology and are managed at the local government level.
Jauro revealed that the project has also distributed over 3,700 kilograms of drought-resistant millet, guinea corn, and maize seeds to 55 farmer clusters.
He explained that the seed varieties were developed to withstand irregular rainfall patterns associated with climate change.
On irrigation development, he announced the rehabilitation of the Balanga Dam canal, noting that it has the capacity to support more than 11,000 acres of year-round farming once secondary canals are completed.
Addressing environmental sustainability, Jauro disclosed that ACReSAL has established a recycling plant to convert plastic waste into compost for organic fertiliser production.
He added that greenhouse facilities, poultry farms, and fish ponds have been introduced to reduce dependence on charcoal production and sand mining.
Under the water resources component, he stated that the project has drilled about 250 wash boreholes and tube wells to support irrigation, while 450 households in erosion-prone areas have received 4,000-litre rainwater harvesting tanks.
To strengthen extension services, Jauro said a farm centre near Dadin Kowa Dam is being upgraded to serve as a training hub for extension workers and farmers across the state.
Looking beyond the project’s six-year lifespan, he disclosed that a draft bill has been prepared to establish a Gombe State Integrated Landscape Management Agency to sustain ACReSAL investments.
He added that the project has been aligned with agro-processing industries at the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park to absorb increased farm output.
Jauro concluded by noting that ACReSAL has completed three years of implementation, with a midterm review scheduled for March.
Source: Punch News
Image Credit: Gombe State ACReSAL
