16/10/2025
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ADVANCING ACReSAL PROJECT IN BENUE STATE.
Over the week, the power of community engagement, as panacea for the success of programmes of Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscapes ( ACReSAL) in Benue North East (Zone A) was stressed.
The demonstration was done in communities in Vandeikya and Ushongo Local Government Areas as part of efforts to bring them to terms with developments in ACReSAL, and assess the status of ACReSAL interventions, as well as enlighten them on new eco friendly ways of doing agriculture without harming the environment.
While at the communities, the stakeholders including traditional and opinion leaders, and members of the communities were encouraged to continue to take care of ACReSAL interventions in their areas. Some of the interventions included Tenera Palm Plantations, Forest Plantations, Solar powered boreholes, Community Revolving Funds (CRF) enterprises among others.
Also at those spots, the local communities, especially the women groups were taught how to embrace eco-friendly agricultural practices, in which little or zero harm would be done to the entire ecosystem. Of those practices, Agroforestry was identified to be the modern and globally accepted way of doing agriculture, which does not require the killing of much trees or forest; but rather entailing planting or cultivating crops among tress or forest. Instead of killing trees completely, the branches are trimmed to allow sufficient sunlight down to the crops.
Agroforestry is useful because it combines trees with crops and livestock to provide ecological, economic, and social benefits, such as improving soil health, conserving water, increasing biodiversity, providing income and food security for farmers, prevent erosion, and provide shelter among numerous benefits.
These and many more were achieved through the community engagements carried out from 14th October, 2025 by Good Health Living Environmental Foundation (GOHLEF), the focal NGO carrying out ACReSAL mandate in Zone A.
Meeting periodically with the host communities will, in no doubt strengthen bond, and foster greater collaboration between ACReSAL and the local population, which will ultimately ensure safety of ACReSAL interventions, which will, otherwise be exposed if such interfaces were not put in place.
ACReSAL: Greening the Environment, Saving Lives.
Timothy Vihimga,
Communications Specialist of GOHLEF.
16/10/2025.