ACRESAL PLATEAU HAS INTERVENED IN WILD LIFE PARK, GULLY EROSION SITES IN JOS,TO RECLAIM OVER 3000 HECTARES ACROSS THE STATE, PROVIDED 10,000 CREATES TO FARMERS, TRACTORS TO COMMUNITIES, PIGLETS TO WIDOWS, GREEN HOUSES TO FCE PANKSHIN, UNIJOS,COA GARKAWA AMONGST MANY INTERVENTIONS VIA WORLD BANK,FAO,PLSG FUNDING -GARBA GOWON GONKOL(SPC ACRESAL).
Enjoy the excerpts:
NewsGate Magazine:
Sir, for the purpose of our readers, can you briefly introduce yourself please?
Garba Gowon Gonkol: Thank you, My name is Mr. Garba Gowon Gonkol.I am the Project Coordinator of Plateau ACreSAL Projects. ACreSAL in this sense means Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape. It is a World Bank Assisted Project here in Plateau State.
NewsGate Magazine :Can you mention schools you have attended?
Mr. Garba Gowon Gonkol:You mean my academic background and Schools attended?
NewsGate Magazine:Yes sir.
Garba Gowon Gonkol: Alright.Actually I am one individual that started primary school at the LEA primary school at Wokkos Central in Pankshin LGA.From there, I proceeded to Government College Amper, from Government College Amper, I went to College of Education Gindiri and from College of Education Gindiri I proceeded to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU Bauchi. And as well went to the University of Jos for my post graduate Masters Degree in Business Administration. Briefly, these are the institutions I have attended, I have attended courses of various forms in different institutions that time may not allow me to mention here. So, I think briefly, these are the institutions that I have attended.
NewsGate Magazine: What are the activities of ACreSAL?
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonkol: ACreSAL is a project that is being sponsored in fact more than 80% by the World Bank. ACReSAL is an acronym which means Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape. This project came into Nigeria as a result of the exit of the previous project we executed which was called NEWMAP, Nigeria Erosion and Water Schedule Management Project.
The Federal Government deemed it fit,as far as they were concerned, as of that time, during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, they knew it was implemented for about eight or more years and in the southern part of the country it was only executed barely for five years but for six years in northern Nigeria. So the Federal Government then felt that because of the successes recorded by NEWMAP, they wanted a continuation of similar projects but in different forms,thus, they sorted the attention of the World Bank and with the federal government and all their intentions was to bring a project that would be implemented solely in northern parts of the country and the World Bank graciously granted approval for ACreSAL project and Plateau State as a state in one of the northern states in Nigeria also participated in the project. Before the acceptance of any state to be part of the project there were some criteria that were laid down that any state that would want to be part of that project must meet, so Plateau being very curious and also interested in the project during the then government immediately keyed into the project by meeting all the requirements.
Part of their requirements to key into the project was that an interested state must have technically sound officers who would run the project, which to Plateau State,it was an advantage because the structure has been on ground. Basically, the staffers who implemented NEWMAP transcend into ACreSAL.Thus, there was no issue of trying to hunt for manpower to run the project that was already in place and also, the office accommodation was already in place.With office accommodation in place ,so that criteria were also met.The demand for government interests and commitment in terms of counterparts funding and so the then government gave us at least part of the counterpart funding.Another criteria was that the state which is interested to participate must provide fund requirement of about N500 million, So the then government granted some money but yes because of the challenges of finances then, they were able to release the sum of N200 million to Plateau ACreSAL as part of their commitment .We were left with the balance of about N300 million as part of the balance to be paid for funding and with with this commitment the government showed in terms of releasing the N200 million, Plateau was able to qualify to participate in the ACreSAL project.
Yes I think the present administration came in and to be precise in May 2023 and when he was briefed about the project, the Executive Governor, His Excellency Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang became so passionate and so interested in the project that he quickly paid the balance.You remember it was Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, our amiable Governor who launched this project in the State on the 27th of July 2023.It was because of the interest he had that the launching was of the project was done during one of these stakeholders engagement and Plateau State was also fortunate,first of its kind, the Country World Bank Director also attended the launch of the Plateau Acresal,which is something great that had never happened in the history of many other projects in this state.Thus,Plateau State became the second state in the whole country to launch the project.It was a plus to Plateau State because of the kind of government we have. The Governor we have is interested in ACreSAL because this ACreSAL project is a project that is anchored by the three key Ministries namely, the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and also the Ministry of Water Resources and these are basically the areas of intervention of the ACreSAL project in terms of trying to know what ACreSAL is all about.
NewsGate Magazine: Can you briefly give us the run down of the activities of ACreSAL and your achievements since assumption of office?
Mr. Garba Gowon Gonkol :When I took over the mantle of leadership of Plateau ACreSAL Project as the State Project Coordinator, immediately after the project lunch in the state, we were fortunate to also host the World Bank Country Directors as well as the top team leader of the World Bank together with other management from the World Bank and so they demanded that they visit some of our communities and we took them round the immediate communities. Communities who fled their farms, places where irrigation practises are on the front burner,we took them to one community here in Jos South Local Government Area called Gura-Top and before our arrival the community involved welcomed the World Bank Country Directors very well,led by the Task Team Leader. They gave us a rousing welcome.The team leader was so interested and because she was so happy and instantly she commanded us that we should intervene in that community and So immediately we made a work plan and sent it to them and they gave us approval and part of the first intervention was that community so we had to buy them crates for storage facilities.The storage gadgets helps to preserve perishable farm products. Plateau State is known for agricultural production in terms of dry season farming and farming of other vegetables which are pretty sure most times they use this local "Kondo",basket to carry their goods outside the state to sell but they encounter a lot of losses, breakages and so on and so forth.
So that was the first time we noticed the use of crates, so she advised that plastic creates be supplied to them and immediately within one week we supplied over 300 number creates to families.We impacted over 500 farmers within that community and she also granted us approval to also supply two number new tractors. Those tractors were immediately procured and we gave one to Gura-Top community and one was given to Ampang West in Mangu Local Government Area and the communities are very appreciative. They have even written letters of appreciation to us in that regards.
So, you can see that, that was the beginning of intervention on the lives of our local people on the Plateau.
Apart from that, we extended that good gesture to other communities, communities across the three senatorial zones of the state, particularly, the supply of those storage creates. We supplied over 10,000 number to various Local Governments across the state. So this is part of intervention we have at the initial stage and it may also interest you to know that within the shortest possible time we had a site that was earmarked for interventions during NEWMAP which were not able to complete and that site was Bingham University , Plateau club which actually we rolled it over to ACreSAL and the bank granted us approval to execute,to address the erosion menace of that particular gully site and so we immediately advertised .We placed an advertorial and so many contractors bidded and right now if you go there, the contractor is on site and work is in progress. We are addressing that Erosion site because of the effects that people are having within that gully region.It was threatening a lot of properties, houses and even human lives.At a point some children were drowned in that region but right now if you go there, you will see that work is in progress ,so these are part of the intervention that ACreSAL have been able to do.Of course, there are many other interventions that time may not allow me to mention.
Presently if you go to Jos wild life park you will see that a lot of massive construction is going on in terms of parameter fencing of the entire Jos wildlife park. If you have been going to Jos wildlife, if you go there now , you will see a different ball game.Before our intervention,the place was degraded, the place was bastardized in terms of encroachment, in terms of falling down of trees illegally and so on,that informed our decisions to take it up with the World Bank and the World Bank granted us "No Objections",that is , the approval,to carry out the work, that is ongoing there now .So the wildlife park is being fenced and within the shortest possible time,once that fencing is completed, definitely, the number of patronage by tourists within that vicinity will increase and what does it translate into? Into more revenue to the state and so on and so forth.If you used to go to wildlife previously, you hardly get water, but today and even talk less of what the animals would drink, now we have drilled about four number solar powered boreholes within the Jos wildlife park.At least Jos wildlife park is wearing a new face. Apart from that we have also procured and distributed rangers uniforms to rangers who are guiding the park.We have also supplied some gadgets and equipment.We also supplied them with a brand new truck that will be used for surveillance within the park. We bought them motorcycles that the rangers will be using to pursue illegal people who come into the parks and cause destructio. So, there are quite a number of interventions that we have made that time will not permit us enumerate.
In time past the in the evening you may not be there but right now we have installed solar powered panels,that is, street lights within the park so even in the night you can go to the wildlife part and then see whatever animals you want to see and that part of the reasons why we embarked on fencing.
Equally, you must have heard recently of the escape of some wildlife animals like the lion ,the hyena and monkeys two times, but with this present development, there will be no way for any animal to escape.
Similarly,the rate at which people are intruding into the wild life park for illegal cutting down of trees,illegal activities , criminal activities and poaching, the building of parameter fencing will drastically be reduced. These are some of the things we are doing at ACreSAL.
Do you want to know more about our interventions to communities? You see for the first time we intervened in eight local governments of Plateau State with four number solar powered boreholes So that they can enjoy water.The water is not just for domestic purposes, It is also used for animal husbandry and also dry season farming and irrigation. So our communities are felling the impact of ACreSAL.
Right now contractors are on site to also intervene in additional eight local government with the same number of solar powered boreholes.
You see, our intervention is multi sectoral. Recently, we placed an advertorial for reconstruction, the rehabilitation and catchment management of Lantang dam.Of course that bid had been opened and we are at the process of evaluation, to come up with the contractor that will bring that dam under actual life so that we would discharge the water that will be available for people of Langtang North and if possible the water can even reach Mikang, and the nearby local government areas. So these areas that we are intervening with communities, there are other aspects we intervening in communities, we have planted woodlands reafforestation of so many communities on the Plateau.The World Bank has granted us over 500 hectares of land in Mangu with different species of the plants,including the economic trees in which, in fact,right now we have started with some pilot communities within that corridor, we have also extended that to some southern part of Plateau and across the state. Right now in Quaan Pan LGA, there are two sites, over 200 hectares of land is being earmarked for reafforestation in order to plan economic and other trees. All these trees are not just for one purpose but also to address issues of climate change.
Climate change is another aspect that ACreSAL is very interested in.You will discover that the weather is changing, yes what you used to see in the 70s, 80s is not the same thing on the Plateau right now.On the Plateau, we are experiencing heat at a time where we are supposed to be cold and so, part of the interventions of the ACreSAL programme and we would love programs and flagship of things of various categories that will also checkmate and immediately get some of this climate effects on the Plateau and across the country checkmated. Generally, the Nigerian Government has earmarked to address and to reclaim degraded land of about the magnitude of about 4 million hectares targeted to be reclaimed in the year 2030 but right now the actual project is trying to address over 1 million hectres.Of course,this is a significant progress in terms of trying to address its desertification and other environmental degradation by ACreSAL. Presently, we have earmarked projects that single handedly are maximum of six local governments within the state and those projects are women driven.
We want to help our widows with improved animal species that will be able improve their lives.So far we have distributed over 5,000 number of piglets to widows and the less privileged women in the society.In Jos North and South Local Government Areas,right now, my staff are on ground and other service providers supplying the supporting piglets to some farmers in Langtang South.They have finished with Langtang South ,right now they are in Mikang doing the same thing and other communities and in other Local Governments as well.Like them and other Local Government Areas we will also address quite a number in Plateau State.
NewsGate Magazine :What other major challenges are hindering your activities?
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonyol: ln every condition that you find yourself and with the project of this magnitude, you can't run away from challenges. The part of the challenges that we are experiencing are Security challenges. You know our operations are community based and you know what is happening within the communities are farmers-herders clashes.These clashes would not allow us to penetrate into the interiors where we are supposed to render services unless we take the security men with us. We find it difficult go to places that are flash points.These are big challenges for ACreSAL. You will discover that the community is in need of your service but it's not safe for you to go to such communities.There are also other challenges of Communications, in terms of sensitisation and mobilization of communities.You will discover that people are of different mindsets even when we are carrying out another mega project on the Plateau to distribute, to install water, harvesting facilities, these are part of the system, there are people with mindset believing that with the previous experience the had with some other people,we are coming to deceive them, so people were not cooperating with us,until when they begin to see that that thing which we say we're going to do becoming a reality in some areas,they do not allow us to sleep, now calling here and there that they want to benefit.
Also there's a kind of problem of mindset of the people based on maybe deceit or some kind of experience they have with people so penetration to such communities sometimes we find it difficult.
There are other logistics problems.There are challenges that we do experience in terms of operations, but generally we are making a huge progress on the Plateau with the Acresal Project.
NewsGate Magazine: Comment on any issue that bothers you, be it local, nationally or internationally?
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonyol:
Well for now there are a number of issues that we are supposed to address as a project but you know in project implementations these things do not just come in as people may think or that if I have a program like I want to address erosion here then it's express, no. There are number of issues that you have to contend with before you reach that level.Part of those things are that, you know we collaborate with the donor organisation which is the World Bank, the national office so in whatever capacity we want to intervene,we must prepare a work plan that we can defend.A work plan that we can justify and send it to them. Sometimes it takes time for them to run through the documents.Clearance takes time .We rely on what we call No Objections. As soon as that is not given you don't have any right to proceed with another activity. And you know it's not only Plateau State,there are other competing demands from other states.So you send in your requests, other requests from other states are also sent,and you know it takes time, so these are the major problems that we are experiencing.So, it takes time before clearance are given for us, thus it becomes an issue, even though we have a good intention to intervene sometimes our activities are halted because of those forth and back of this kind of clearance that we need. so these are some of the issues that we are still battling with. Basically ACreSAL is out to reach the community.
You know we also intervene most in reclaiming some of our degraded lands.I hope you know that we are collaborating with one international organisation called FAO, the Food and Agricultural Organisation and right now we have earmarked over 3,000 hectares of land across the state, mostly from southern zone to be reclaimed by the Plateau ACreSAL. So you know if that is done, and that is going to be done with the support of the FAO,thus, ACreSAL is not standing alone.
Apart from the World Bank, the FAO can also intervene and so these are areas where Plateau people are going to benefit.Some of our wasted lands that are not put into use, we can now bring them back to use by reclaiming. So these are some of the things Plateau Acresal has done.Right now we are procuring a number of tractors also to be given to communities and that we are waiting the decision of the Government in order to see the benefiting communities.We are doing a lot with the government to see that people continue to benefit from the Plateau ACreSAL project.
NewsGate Magazine: what has come out of the visitation of the University of Jos Management to your office recently?
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonyol : The management of the University of Jos were here in my office sometime this year. Quite a number of people are beginning to notice our interventions. Some will see through the NewsGate Magazine, the NewsCrest Newspaper,the print media, the electronic media, the social media, some will hear through interactions with other people and so on and so forth.I think that of the University of Jos was a clear case. When they discovered that this is the area that we can intervene ,the VC quickly mobilized his management team and came into my office to make a passionate appeal because when they got to know our area of interventions, they said this is necessary for us to collaborate with the university and they placed a request which we can intervene by providing them with greenhouse and water facilities.And also do you know they have around them, quite a number of land.They have enough land where we can do this wood lawn and other tree planting within their vicinity that would help them, which we also agreed to do so. Right now our intervention in the Northern zone is a borehole, sited in the university so that seed is also yielding result.We are also going to plant some economic trees of value in that institution and these are basically to also checkmate the issue of climate change.That is apart from the economic value they are going to get from this. We have put machineries on ground to see if they can benefit from a greenhouse business. So like when you heard our discussion, the Federal College of Education Pankshin also benefited from our good gesture by providing them with a greenhouse in that area which they have made first, second and third harvests of the products.They are wonderful. They are great.They cannot be compared with local varieties you have seen around.These are part of the interventions that we are doing and we have equally done so in the College of Agriculture Garkawa.They have replicated the gesture very well,so you can take a look at that when you have time to go to Langtang,follow there to see the greenhouse that we have installed and they are still making a request for us to also plant trees and earmark about 20 or 21 hectares of land for us to go and plant trees on. So these are areas that we are also making efforts to see if College of Education Gindiri which is a state-owned institution also benefits.
NewsGate Magazine:Sir, do you have an agreement or any signed contract with any media house in Plateau State in respect to public education and awareness on the activities of Acresal?
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonyol:To tell you the truth,we have not signed any concrete agreement with the media but our project is media friendly.Media friendly in the sense that we want the world to be aware of what we are doing.We want a very well co-ordinated publicity and that can be done through the media. So this project is media friendly as you can agree with me.Not long ago, before you came in, we had an interview with the PRTVC.Some of you know that we have been having media press briefings.We have been having media interviews. For your information there are quite a number of media across the state and even outside the state that have honoured us with merit awards.Look at these awards on my table, they were given to me by the National Assembly media, communities and organisations,so this is just to tell you that we are media friendly.
NewsGate Magazine:Thank you very much for your time.
Mr.Garba Gowon Gonyol:Thank you too.
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