Africa Business Radio

The World Bank announced its approval of a $700 million credit from its International Development Association for the Nigeria Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project. The institution says the productivity of major crops in Nigeria had been steadily declining over the past two decades, in part due to climate change, forcing an expansion of the area under agriculture and increased imports to meet the food needs of Nigeria’s growing population. It noted that persistent water shortages continue to exacerbate land degradation, desertification, and habitat loss. World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri noted that Nigeria was faced with water scarcity and droughts which occur every five years, on average, with the potential to increase in frequency due to climate change.