As part of efforts to ensure seamless project intervention, the Focal Non-Governmental Organization (FONGO) for the Benue Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, Good Health Living Environmental Foundation organized training for selected Community Interest Groups (CIGs) within Makurdi Local Government Area.

The main objective of the training that was held at the Precious Event Center, Makurdi, was to build the capacity of the CIGs on efficient and sustainable project implementation that covered thematic areas like Climate change, Climate Smart Agriculture, Agricultural Best Practices, Waste Management, Financial Management, Bookkeeping, Business Plan/Proposal Writing, and Grievance Redress Mechanisms.

Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA) is one of the pilot LGAs that has been earmarked for the Community Revolving Funds (CRF) scheme of the ACReSAL project intervention which is to provide loan facilities to interested CIGs after the training.

Addressing participants, the State Project Coordinator, Benue ACReSAL, Bldr. Victor Ama, represented by the Climate Change Officer of Benue ACReSAL, Mrs. Seember Ugboho encouraged them to pay close attention to the training especially, the financial management as it contains what it takes to successfully implement the Community Revolving Funds (CRF).

Bldr. Victor Ama who was excited that a good number of the CIGs training attendees were women, representing one of the target beneficiaries of the ACReSAL Project intervention urged them to adopt sustainable smart agricultural farming practices that would curb indiscriminate felling of trees, bush burning, and other practices that may be harmful to the environment. He called on them to engage in massive afforestation activity and see the greening of the environment as a collective effort.

Facilitating the training, a lecturer in the Department of Geography, Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr. Dam Ayari, spoke on Climate Change, its causes, impacts, and ways of mitigating and adapting to the impacts to build resilience. At the same time, Mr. Solomon Gbar, of FONGO, guided the participants on Agricultural Best Practices.

Other facilitators include Miss Jennifer Tersur who presented on Climate Smart Agriculture, an accountant with Benue ACReSAL, Mr. Inakwu John who handled financial management and emphasized the need for accurate bookkeeping and financial knowledge enhancement whereas the Natural Resources Officer, Benue ACReSAL, Mr. Peter Hilekaan highlighted on issues bordering on Climate Smart Agriculture and some agricultural best practices to ensure that participants clearly understood the topics addressed.