NIAMEY, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Niger have signed an agreement on a 222-million-U.S.-dollar grant for stronger resilience of Africa's Great Green Wall project.

The agreement was signed Thursday by the acting representative of the FAO in Niger, Luc Genot, and Nigerien Acting Foreign Minister Alio Daouda, in Niamey, the capital, Nigerien Radio and Television (RTN) reported.

The funding aims to enhance resilience to climate shocks and foster economic opportunities in the eight countries involved in the Great Green Wall initiative -- Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Senegal, the RTN said.

The initiative seeks to combat desertification, land degradation, and climate change in the Sahel region. ■