The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has commenced technical reviews to develop the digital and institutional architecture for a proposed Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot scheme, in a move that could position Nigeria to tap into emerging climate-finance systems and carbon market opportunities.
The initiative is expected to rely on environmental data systems, geospatial technologies and greenhouse gas accounting tools to measure ecosystem services and verify environmental outcomes under a structured incentive framework for landowners and land users adopting sustainable land management practices.
The proposed PES scheme falls under ACReSAL’s Sub-Component C1 on Institutional and Policy Strengthening and is designed to establish a framework that rewards climate-positive land use practices that deliver measurable environmental benefits.
In Adamawa State, where the pilot is expected to be deployed, more than one million agroforestry seedlings have been distributed to over 300 households, while 3,131 hectares of regenerative agriculture models have been established.
Building the digital backbone for climate finance
A central focus of the technical discussions was the design of a digital infrastructure capable of supporting a credible Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, which is widely regarded as the backbone of modern carbon finance and ecosystem service markets.
Experts examined requirements for geospatial mapping systems, greenhouse gas baselines, environmental monitoring platforms and institutional data frameworks that could validate ecosystem outcomes and support access to climate-finance investments.
If implemented, the PES initiative could become one of Nigeria’s most significant tests of how environmental restoration can be linked with geospatial monitoring technologies and carbon finance mechanisms to generate economic value from ecosystem services.
Adamawa pilot and large-scale land restoration gains
At the technical review meeting in Abuja, the ACReSAL Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) convened consultants and experts to assess the methodology, design framework and implementation structure for the proposed pilot, which is expected to be tested in Adamawa State.
Speaking at the meeting, Abdulhamid Unar, ACReSAL National Project Coordinator, emphasised the need for a strong technical foundation ahead of implementation.
“We are laying the administrative and technical groundwork for a major shift in how landscape conservation is sustained,” Umar said.
“This inception meeting in Abuja is about critically analyzing the proposed design, methodology, and coordination mechanisms. Ensuring an airtight framework now is what will guarantee the success and viability of the PES pilot when implementation begins on the ground.”
Project data presented during the review indicates that ACReSAL has restored more than 800,000 hectares of degraded land through afforestation, agroforestry and gully rehabilitation programmes.
In Adamawa State, where the pilot is expected to be deployed, more than one million agroforestry seedlings have been distributed to over 300 households, while 3,131 hectares of regenerative agriculture models have been established.
The Abuja meeting also coincided with strategic engagements involving the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Investment Centre.
Discussions between the FPMU and Giacomo Branca of the FAO Investment Centre focused on institutional and technical structures required to operationalise the proposed PES investment cluster.
Technical consultants reviewed potential financing pathways, including public-sector instruments such as green bonds and mechanisms linked to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as participation in voluntary carbon markets.
The sessions also examined digital and administrative systems required to ensure transparent and efficient delivery of incentives to participating landowners and communities engaged in conservation activities.
Aligning ecosystem restoration with digital governance
The proposed PES framework forms part of ACReSAL’s broader strategy to strengthen climate-resilient landscape management through technology-enabled environmental governance.
The World Bank-supported programme, launched in 2022, is being implemented across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory to address land degradation, climate vulnerability and environmental decline.
According to the World Bank, ACReSAL was approved under a $700 million financing package aimed at strengthening sustainable landscape management and advancing long-term climate resilience in Nigeria.
The project also integrates environmental monitoring systems, catchment management plans and institutional capacity-building initiatives, with increasing emphasis on the use of data, analytics and digital tools for environmental decision-making.
Project documentation shows that ACReSAL is targeting the restoration of one million hectares of degraded land by 2028, as part of Nigeria’s broader commitment to restore four million hectares by 2030.
Next steps for PES pilot design
The Abuja inception meeting concluded with agreement on coordination responsibilities among consultants, the FPMU and State Project Management Units.
Feedback from the technical sessions will be used to refine implementation timelines, strengthen risk management frameworks and finalise the roadmap for deploying the PES pilot scheme.
ACReSAL, short for Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, is a World Bank-supported programme focused on combating land degradation and climate change impacts across northern Nigeria through climate-smart agriculture, watershed restoration, erosion control and institutional strengthening, supported by digital tools and data-driven environmental management systems.
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