Yahaya – Adacresal

ACRESAL IMPACT STORY – METANI COMMUNITY

Yahaya — Sat, 09 May 2026 13:01:38 +0000

ACRESAL IMPACT STORY – METANI COMMUNITY

From Harvest Crisis to Economic Opportunity: How Metani Community Built a Market That Now Serves Over 100,000 People

In the remote farming community of Metani in Toungo Local Government Area of Adamawa State, access to markets had long been a major challenge for farmers and traders. Metani alone has a population of over 20,000 people, while Toungo Local Government Area has a population of over 100,000 residents spread across vast rural settlements. Despite the area’s strong agricultural potential, the entire local government largely depended on a single major market — the Toungo Market.

For years, farmers from Metani and surrounding communities struggled after harvest seasons. Transporting produce over long distances was expensive, stressful, and often unprofitable. Many were forced to sell their farm produce at low prices due to limited access to buyers and poor market opportunities.

That narrative began to change through the intervention of the ACReSAL project and its Community Revolving Fund (CRF) Programme in Adamawa State.

The programme, which is supported by the World Bank and co-funded by the Adamawa State Government under the leadership of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, aligns with the administration’s broader vision of reducing poverty, strengthening livelihoods, and building resilient communities across the state.

Through strategic investments in agriculture, community development, and climate resilience initiatives, the Fintiri administration continues to create opportunities that empower rural populations, improve food security, and stimulate local economies.

Under the CRF initiative, a total of $525,000 was disbursed to 21 pilot communities across the state. The programme supported 115 Community Interest Groups (CIGs), benefiting 2,218 individuals with grants of $25,000 each.

Metani emerged as one of the pilot communities.

The community received support through three Community Interest Groups comprising 60 beneficiaries, with women making up over 40 percent of participants. The groups focused largely on farming activities, and the intervention arrived at a critical time.

With funds disbursed in June 2025, farmers were able to expand their farmlands, hire additional labor, and purchase improved farming inputs. The result was a significantly better harvest season compared to previous years.

But success was met with an unexpected challenge.

Around the same period, food produce prices crashed across Nigeria despite the continued high cost of farming inputs and agricultural production. Although farmers in Metani recorded impressive harvests, many struggled to make profitable sales due to poor market access and declining produce prices nationwide. The situation threatened to reduce the gains achieved through the farming season.

Rather than allowing the challenge to overwhelm them, the beneficiaries responded with innovation and collective action.

Community members came together and proposed the establishment of a local market in Metani. They approached their village head with the idea, and the proposal received immediate approval. While a permanent site is still being considered, a temporary location was allocated to kickstart operations.

Today, that decision is transforming lives.

The newly established Metani Market now serves no fewer than 15 communities with a combined population estimated at over 100,000 people. What started as a response to a marketing crisis has rapidly evolved into a growing economic hub for the region.

The impact has been far-reaching.

Farmers now have easier access to buyers and can sell their produce without the burden of costly travel to distant markets. This has reduced transportation expenses, minimized post-harvest losses, and improved household incomes.

The market has also created employment opportunities for young people. During market days, youths are actively engaged in transportation, loading and offloading goods, petty trading, food vending, and other commercial activities that support the growing local economy.

Beyond agricultural produce, traders from neighboring communities now bring in goods and services that were previously difficult to access locally. Residents can purchase household items, clothing, tools, and other essential commodities without traveling long distances.

More importantly, the market has strengthened social and economic ties among surrounding communities, fostering cooperation, trade, and local development.

The story of Metani demonstrates how community-driven solutions, when supported by strategic interventions like the ACReSAL CRF Programme and the Adamawa State Government’s commitment to livelihood development, can create sustainable impact beyond the original scope of a project.

What began as agricultural support has now sparked rural economic transformation.

As ACReSAL continues implementing resilience and livelihood initiatives across Adamawa State, stories like Metani stand as evidence that empowering communities with resources, trust, and institutional support can unlock innovations capable of transforming entire regions.

This is one of many impact stories emerging from communities across the state — stories of resilience, collaboration, and sustainable development driven by the people themselves.

For Metani, the harvest did more than produce food.

It produced opportunity.

And a market that may shape the economic future of an entire region.

From Degraded Lands to Resilient Futures: Nigeria’s ACReSAL Project Delivers Landmark Mid-Term Climate and Livelihood Gains

Yahaya — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:10:55 +0000

From Degraded Lands to Resilient Futures:

Nigeria’s ACReSAL Project Delivers Landmark Mid-Term Climate and Livelihood Gains

Nigeria is making measurable progress in tackling land degradation and climate vulnerability through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, one of the largest integrated landscape restoration initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by the World Bank. The project is designed to increase sustainable landscape management practices and strengthen the enabling environment for climate resilience . At its Mid-Term Review (MTR) in April 2026, the project demonstrated strong results across environmental restoration, community resilience and institutional strengthening, while contributing directly to Nigeria’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

ACReSAL operates across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting regions where nearly 70 million people face desertification and climate risks. The project targets the underlying causes of land degradation while supporting Nigeria’s climate and environmental commitments. It focuses on scaling sustainable land management practices, restoring degraded ecosystems and reversing desert encroachment through an integrated watershed management approach that combines biophysical investments, community-driven interventions and institutional strengthening. These efforts are aligned with national priorities and reinforce regional and global initiatives such as the Great Green Wall and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

As of April 2026, ACReSAL has placed 922,717.86 hectares of degraded land under restoration representing 97% of its end target. The project has reached 9.3 million direct beneficiaries, a whopping 276% of the original target with women accounting for 48.9% of participants. ACReSAL has developed 20 pioneering Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMPs) across participating states. As the first of their kind in Nigeria, these plans will provide a unified framework for the sustainable management of natural resources. Satellite analysis confirms a 3.6% increase in vegetation cover, while 25,298 hectares have been developed under irrigation and drainage systems, exceeding targets. In addition, 965 solar-powered boreholes drilled have improved access to water in vulnerable communities.

These outcomes directly support Nigeria’s commitments to reduce deforestation, scale land restoration and promote climate-smart agriculture, as outlined in national climate frameworks. By increasing vegetation cover and restoring degraded ecosystems, ACReSAL contributes to carbon sequestration and supports emission reduction pathways, while strengthening resilience in climate-vulnerable regions.

ACReSAL is playing an important role in addressing the long-standing farmer–herder crisis within the broader context of insecurity in Nigeria, where competition over land and water has contributed to violent conflicts, displacement and loss of lives and livelihoods, particularly in the northern regions. By restoring degraded landscapes and establishing functional rangelands, the project is reducing pressure on scarce resources that often trigger these conflicts. These efforts are reinforced by community-based conflict resolution mechanisms and early warning and response (EWER) systems that help detect and manage tensions before they escalate. In a context where insecurity is closely linked to environmental stress and resource scarcity, these interventions are helping to stabilize communities, reduce clashes between farmers and herders, and support more peaceful and sustainable coexistence while strengthening resilience in fragile areas.

At the household level, the project is delivering tangible socio-economic benefits. Approximately 82.2% of beneficiaries report increased incomes, while 72.7% report higher crop yields. Median monthly income has risen by 60%, from ₦50,000 to ₦80,000. Improved access to water is reported by 79.1% of households and 64.5% have adopted sustainable land management practices. These gains align with Nigeria’s adaptation priorities, including strengthening food security, improving water access and building resilience among vulnerable populations.

Women’s economic empowerment has been a notable outcome, with 9,659 women gaining secure land access and increased participation in community-based economic activities. Time savings from improved water access and infrastructure have also contributed to better educational outcomes for girls and enhanced household productivity.

Institutionally, ACReSAL is strengthening Nigeria’s climate governance architecture. The project has supported the issuance of a ₦50 billion sovereign green bond, the first of its kind in West Africa while advancing the establishment of integrated landscape management agencies. The project is also supporting the national soil health program under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with 774 laboratories planned nationwide. A greenhouse gas baseline has been developed across participating states and the grievance redress mechanism has achieved a 98.9% resolution rate. These efforts reinforce implementation of the Climate Change Act and support long-term climate governance.

While primarily focused on land and agriculture, ACReSAL also contributes indirectly to broader climate goals, including Nigeria’s net-zero emissions target by 2060. By enhancing natural carbon sinks and promoting sustainable land use, the project complements national efforts to end gas flaring by 2030 and reduce methane emissions estimated at 60% by 2035 and up to 95% by 2050. It also supports the enabling environment for renewable energy expansion and clean energy access, particularly in rural and under-served communities.

The Mid-Term Review confirms strong overall performance, with high relevance, effectiveness and impact. However, it also highlights key areas requiring attention. However, the review also highlights key areas requiring attention, such as accelerating the Community Revolving Fund, Scaling Community-Led Restoration and Establishing Institutional structures to sustain long-term gains. With 23 months remaining to project closure and an additional financing (AF) in view, ACReSAL is entering a critical phase focused on accelerating implementation and scaling impact. Priority actions include expanding community financing, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems and reinforcing institutional sustainability frameworks across all participating states.

ACReSAL positions Nigeria as a leader in integrated climate resilience programming in Sub-Saharan Africa. By linking environmental restoration with livelihoods, finance and governance, the project demonstrates a scalable model for delivering both emission reduction and climate adaptation outcomes. The Mid-Term Review represents a pivotal opportunity to consolidate progress and ensure that ACReSAL leaves a lasting legacy of restored landscapes, strengthened institutions and resilient communities.