The European Union has launched a €2 million Regreening Africa project that will support 40,000 smallholder farmers in Sokoto State, with a focus on women and youth in Wamakko and Wurno local government areas.

Implemented by CARE Nigeria, Catholic Relief Services, and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the five-year initiative will run from 2025 to 2029. It is designed to restore degraded land, boost agricultural productivity, and help farmers adapt to the growing challenges of climate change.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Wednesday, the EU’s Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Massimo De Luca, said land degradation and climate pressures are undermining peace and stability in northern Nigeria.

“Across Africa’s dry lands, and particularly in northern Nigeria, land degradation, climate stress and food insecurity are threatening livelihoods and futures,

“For millions of smallholder farmers and pastoralists, this means uncertainty. For communities, it means pressure on resources, displacement and vulnerability. For nations, it means risks to peace, stability and prosperity,” De Luca said.

He stressed that restoring degraded land would not only improve soil fertility and biodiversity, but also strengthen livelihoods and reduce vulnerability.

“It is about people and ensuring that farmers in Sokoto can increase their yields and secure their families’ nutrition. It is about women, who often carry the heaviest burden of scarcity, and it is about young people whose energy and innovation are vital,” De Luca added.

The project is also expected to contribute to global climate goals by storing carbon and cutting emissions.

CARE Nigeria’s Country Director, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, said the programme would help tackle food insecurity and improve quality of life. Represented by Interim Director, Jennifer Orgle, he warned that land degradation fueled by climate change had already reduced livelihoods and fueled insecurity in many communities.

“This project will bring restoration in terms of land and introduce best practices which would make the majority of the people improve their farming, improve livelihoods. It’s a five-year project and through it, we will see that communities will improve their livelihoods, we will see that women will be able to feed their children and their households better,” he said.

Abdu stressed that success would depend on collaboration with government, civil society, development partners, and local groups.

“Regreening Africa Phase II offers us an opportunity to deepen this approach here in Nigeria, particularly in Sokoto, by ensuring that the voices of women, youth, and marginalised groups shape every step of the journey,” he added.

The initiative, partners say, will not only help farmers adapt to climate change but also restore hope and resilience in affected communities.