A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the federal government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to restore 350,000 hectares of degraded land in the country's 19 northern states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This agreement is a component of the Action Against Desertification (AAD) program, which seeks to assist the FAO's Agro-Climatic Resilience for the Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACRESAL) for sustainable management practices in selected northern Nigerian watersheds.

In order to accomplish large-scale landscape restoration, the project also plans to use delphino ploughs and tractors. This will improve livelihoods, create jobs, and open up markets for value chain development.

The Memorandum of Understanding states that the Federal Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, Food Security, and Water Resources will oversee the project and manage funding from the World Bank, with technical assistance from the FAO.

FAO representative ad interim in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, noted during the signing ceremony in Abuja yesterday that the new agreement would strengthen cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Environment and FAO and lead to additional opportunities to achieve the shared goal of ensuring a better environment.

According to him, FAO is still dedicated to continuing to assist the government and the ministry in their efforts to preserve the environment and manage Nigeria's abundant natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Environment Minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal expressed hope in his remarks that the agreement would result in evidence of a healthy environment, food security, and community well-being. He also expressed optimism about the agreement's ability to restore large-scale landscapes.