Gombe ACReSAL Reveals Plans for Plant Laboratory, New Agency to Sustain Legacy

The Gombe State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project is set to establish a modern agricultural laboratory to tackle plant diseases and strengthen crop productivity across the state. 

The state coordinator of ACReSAL in Gombe, Sani Jauro, revealed the plans during an interview with PUNCH Newspaper in Gombe, where he explained that the proposed facility would be integrated into the advanced greenhouse complex under the agriculture component of the project.

This lab creation plan is coming on the heels of an ongoing effort to institutionalise the gains of ACReSAL projects in the state with the creation of a dedicated agency to ensure the sustainability of executed projects.

Modern Laboratory in Gombe to Tackle Plant Diseases

According to Dr Jauro, the modern plant pathology laboratory is an advanced facility designed to provide scientific diagnosis and professional guidance to farmers experiencing disease outbreaks on their farms. 

“The laboratory we are constructing at the advanced greenhouse facility will function as a pathology and referral centre for plant diseases and related agricultural challenges,” Jauro stated. “Farmers who encounter unusual infections in their orchards or farmlands will be able to submit samples for proper diagnosis. Instead of guesswork, they will receive expert recommendations based on laboratory findings.” 

The state coordinator also added that the laboratory will complement the Farm Centre being developed at the Dadin Kowa Dam, where extension officers are expected to receive continuous training. 

This, according to him, will help in achieving Nigeria’s goal of moving from traditional farming practice to evidence-based agriculture.

“With a functional laboratory, we can detect diseases early, recommend the right treatment, and prevent widespread crop losses,” he said.

Stressing how food security is based on the strength of the institutions in the agricultural sector, he noted that the laboratory will serve as a critical support system for extension specialists and farmers across the region.

Gombe’s New Agency to Sustain ACReSAL

Earlier in the week, Dr Jauro had announced that a draft bill aimed at further grounding the gains of the ACReSAL projects in Gombe had been prepared and formally submitted to the Gombe State Ministry of Environment. 

This bill will facilitate the creation of a dedicated agency, the Gombe State Integrated Landscape Management Agency, to sustain the executed projects and established facilities of the ACReSAL project in the state.

According to him, the Commissioner subsequently transmitted the draft to Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who has forwarded it to the Ministry of Justice for legal scrutiny.

After the legal review process, the state government is expected to initiate the legislative and administrative procedures required to establish the agency, which will be backed with a statutory mandate and an independent budget line to sustain executed projects in the state.

With the ACReSAL project, which is currently supported by the World Bank, left with just three more years of implementation in Gombe, this move will ensure that interventions executed are sustained beyond the six-year lifespan of the project cycle.

According to Dr Jauro, the agency has a framework structured to consolidate sectoral efforts under a unified governance architecture and will serve as a coordinating platform for agriculture, water resources, and environmental management, which are the core of the ACReSAL project.

This will further strengthen climate resilience, land restoration, and sustainable agricultural productivity across the state.

Jauro also assured that the initiative reflects a strategic shift from project-based interventions to an institutional model capable of driving continuity, accountability, and long-term impact in landscape management.