The Kwara Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (KWACReSAL) has said it has recorded steady progress in its ongoing land restoration interventions across several communities in the state.

Recent inspection visits showed encouraging results, with many seedlings already sprouting, while also identifying areas for improvement.

A release from the ministry revealed that during the visits, the KWACReSAL team, alongside representatives of the Focal NGO (FoNGO), supervised the planting of additional seedlings to expand coverage across more hectares of land.

Communities visited included Shonga in Edu Local Government Area, Gidan Magajiya in Baruten Local Government Area, and Kaiama in Kaiama Local Government Area.

KWACReSAL is working towards restoring 10,000 hectares of degraded land in selected communities of Kwara State, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The initiative is expected to enhance soil fertility, increase water retention, promote food security, improve biodiversity, and mitigate the impact of climate change across the State.

Speaking during the inspection, Lola Ajayi, Kwara ACReSAL FAO Desk Officer, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far.

"Most of the seedlings planted a month ago are doing very well. Recall that in July 2025, a delegation from the FAO visited Kwara for a capacity-building session on land restoration techniques, which was attended by other participating states. The training was impactful and timely, and we have since cascaded the knowledge gained to communities. The results we are seeing today are very encouraging, and we look forward to even better outcomes," she said.

The KWACReSAL team also sensitised community members on the importance of taking ownership of the restoration projects, emphasizing their long-term benefits for food security, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience for generations to come.

Hussein Salihu, the Natural Resources Officer, urged residents to desist from indiscriminate tree felling, noting that trees play a vital role in sustaining the ecosystem.

Other members of the KWACReSAL team on the visits included the Social Livelihood Officer, Adebayo Sanni, and the Agric Officer, Khadijat Oke.

At Gidan Magajiya, Abubakar Gidado, the leader of the Fulani community, commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (CON), the ACReSAL Project, and FAO for bringing transformative development to their community.

He pledged to mobilise his people to safeguard and support the restoration initiative.