The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released over 17 billion CFA francs to support Niger’s efforts in restoring degraded land as part of the Great Green Wall Initiative.
A financing agreement was signed on Thursday in Niamey by Niger’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, Justice Minister Alio Daouda, and FAO’s interim representative in Niger, Genot Luc.
The initiative is expected to restore more than 265,000 hectares, establish over 700 community nurseries, and create close to 1,000 jobs.
The project, titled Strengthening the Resilience of the Great Green Wall of Africa (SURAGGWA), also includes training for over 1,000 local groups in sustainable land management.
In addition to addressing land degradation, the project aims to reduce CO₂ emissions and combat the effects of climate change.
As part of a pan-African initiative involving eight Sahel-Saharan countries, the project targets key regional challenges including food insecurity, rural poverty, and environmental decline.
