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FG, World Bank Move to Restore Degraded Northern Landscapes with Nine Catchment Plans
FG, World Bank Move to Restore Degraded Northern Landscapes with Nine Catchment Plans
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has commenced the appraisal and validation of nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMPs) aimed at tackling desertification, land degradation and water scarcity across Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.
The initiative is being implemented under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project (ACReSAL), a climate resilience programme led by the Federal Ministry of Environment with support from the World Bank.
The validation workshop, holding in Abuja, is bringing together federal and state agencies, technical experts, and community representatives to review the plans and ensure they are inclusive, practical and capable of improving livelihoods while restoring degraded landscapes.
Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, warned that environmental degradation in Northern Nigeria has reached alarming levels, threatening food security and the stability of rural communities.
According to him, millions of people in the 19 northern states and the FCT are already facing harsh environmental realities such as advancing deserts, irregular rainfall patterns, shrinking water bodies and declining farmland productivity.
“These are not abstract problems. They threaten the food on our tables, the income of our farmers and herders, and the stability of our communities,” the minister said.
Lawal explained that the ACReSAL project represents Nigeria’s strategic response to the growing environmental crisis, with the Federal Ministry of Environment working closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to restore degraded landscapes and promote sustainable management of natural resources.
He noted that the Strategic Catchment Management Plans form the backbone of the intervention, providing a coordinated roadmap for identifying priority environmental hotspots, mobilising resources and aligning actions across multiple sectors.
Representing the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, the Director of Hydrology, Abohwo Ngozi, said the workshop would review the final nine catchment management plans developed under the ACReSAL framework.
She stressed that the plans are essential for improving integrated water and land management while addressing the growing environmental challenges facing communities across Northern Nigeria.
Ngozi warned that desert encroachment, degraded farmlands and unpredictable rainfall patterns are already threatening agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of millions of farmers and pastoralists.
National Coordinator of ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar, represented by Shettima Adams, said the nine plans are designed to guide targeted interventions in semi-arid landscapes to ensure sustainable water and land management.
He listed the catchments covered by the plans as Malenda, Oshin-Oyi, Gurara-Gbako, Aloma-Konshisha, Benue-Mada, Sarkin-Pawa-Kaduna, Zungur-Gongola, Gaji-Lamurde and Hawul-Kilange.
According to him, the catchment areas cut across several states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, as well as the FCT.
Umar explained that the plans were developed through extensive consultations with local communities and stakeholders, ensuring that they capture real environmental challenges such as deforestation, soil erosion, shrinking water sources and overgrazing.
FG, World Bank Move to Restore Degraded Northern Landscapes with Nine Catchment Plans
Farmer Injured in Machete Attack by Herder in Plateau
By Zagazola Makama
A farmer, Mr Charles Tuwan, has sustained machete injuries following an alleged attack by a herder during a dispute over grazing on farmland in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 6:53 p.m. on August 23, 2026, at Tekas Community, where troops of Sector 8, Operation ENDURING PEACE, operating under Operation HARD KNOCK, responded to a report of an assault.
Security sources said the dispute reportedly started after the farmer refused to allow the herder to graze cattle on his farmland.
On arrival at the scene, the troops found Tuwan with machete cuts sustained during the attack.
The alleged attacker, identified as Abdullahi Saleh, had reportedly fled the area with his cattle before the arrival of the troops.
The injured farmer was evacuated to Pankshin General Hospital for medical attention.
Troops are currently intensifying efforts to locate and arrest the suspect for investigation and possible prosecution.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between farming and herding communities in parts of Plateau State, underscoring the need for early intervention in disputes over farmland and grazing to prevent isolated incidents from escalating into wider communal violence.
Farmer Injured in Machete Attack by Herder in Plateau
Unidentified Corpse with Gunshot Wound Found Along Road in Plateau
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have recovered the corpse of an unidentified person bearing a gunshot wound along a roadside in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The corpse was discovered at about 9:30 p.m. on August 23, 2026, along the Farin Lamba axis, close to the Primary Health Centre in Riyom.
Troops of Sector 6, Operation ENDURING PEACE, responded to the report and found the body with an apparent gunshot wound to the stomach.
However, security personnel observed that there were no visible traces of blood or spent ammunition casings around the scene.
The circumstances led investigators to suspect that the body may have been transported from another location and dumped at the scene.
The corpse was evacuated to the Primary Health Centre mortuary in Riyom, while the youth leader of Tahoss Community was contacted to assist in identifying the deceased.
Troops have continued to dominate the general area as investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death and possible identity of the victim continues.
Unidentified Corpse with Gunshot Wound Found Along Road in Plateau
Troops Rescue Kidnap Victim, Recover AK-47 Rifle After Gun Battle in Kogi
By Zagazola Makama
Troops operating under the Joint Security operation in the 2 Division Area of Responsibility have rescued a 28-year-old kidnap victim and recovered an AK-47 rifle following a gun battle with suspected kidnappers in Kogi State.
The operation, according to security sources, took place at about 0300 hours on August 24, 2026, when troops from Patrol Base Obajana intercepted the victim, identified as Hussaini Shehu.
Preliminary questioning revealed that Shehu had allegedly been abducted from the Abaji general area of the Federal Capital Territory about five days earlier.
The rescued victim subsequently led the troops to the location where he had been held captive.
Security sources said the troops made contact with the suspected kidnappers and engaged them in a firefight, forcing the criminals to abandon an AK-47 rifle and flee into the surrounding area.
The weapon was recovered by the troops, while the victim was evacuated to the military medical centre for medical attention.
Security forces have continued operations in the area to track the fleeing kidnappers and prevent them from regrouping.
The latest operation underscores the importance of intelligence-led patrols and rapid exploitation of information obtained from rescued victims in disrupting kidnapping networks operating across the FCT-Kogi corridor.
Troops Rescue Kidnap Victim, Recover AK-47 Rifle After Gun Battle in Kogi
Farmer Injured in Machete Attack by Herder in Plateau
Unidentified Corpse with Gunshot Wound Found Along Road in Plateau
Troops Rescue Kidnap Victim, Recover AK-47 Rifle After Gun Battle in Kogi
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