The Federal Government is seeking an additional $500 million from the World Bank to expand climate resilience and environmental restoration programmes across northern Nigeria.
The proposed financing is part of three separate $500 million facilities currently under discussion between Nigeria and the World Bank, bringing the total potential new borrowing to $1.5 billion.
The World Bank is expected to consider the additional funding for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, ACReSAL, on October 29, 2026.
If approved, the funding would increase ACReSAL’s total financing from $700 million to $1.2 billion. The project is financed through the International Development Association, the World Bank’s concessional lending arm, with the Federal Ministry of Environment serving as the implementing agency.
The additional funds are expected to finance projects aimed at restoring degraded land, improving water management, tackling erosion and flooding, expanding irrigation and drainage systems, and strengthening communities’ ability to cope with climate-related challenges.
Under the proposal, $310 million would be allocated to dryland management, $165 million to community climate resilience and $25 million to institutional strengthening and project management.
ACReSAL currently operates in 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, focusing on challenges including desertification, land degradation, water insecurity and declining agricultural productivity.
The proposed loan comes as Nigeria’s public debt reached a record N166.79 trillion by the end of June 2026, adding renewed attention to the government’s borrowing plans and how fresh financing will be deployed.
According to the World Bank, about 43 per cent of Nigeria’s land area is affected by desertification and land degradation, while climate change could further affect economic growth if mitigation and adaptation measures are not strengthened.
