The National FADAMA Coordination Office, Abuja has urged state Coordination Offices and benefiting farmers across the country to sustain the objectives of the project beyond December 2019 when it terminates.
Mr Tayo Adewumi, the projects National Coordinator, made the appeal on Tuesday in Minna during a two-day technical assistance mission to the state.
Adewumi, who was represented by Dr Gbenga Arokoyo, Mission Leader, said that the programme was successful across the country but the ability to sustain it remained a challenge.
“We want to look at the ability of the State FADAMA Coordination Offices on how to sustain the project when it terminates by December 2019.
“We want you to take ownership of the project and manage it to your own benefit; this is to say that you have to train some of the beneficiaries on how to sustain the entire project,’’ he said.
He said that the benefiting farmers must learn how to manage and maintain the facilities and not to seek for help when the project ends.
The Mission Leader advised the state offices to introduce manual machines due to epileptic power supply and train some of the benefiting farmers on how to manage and maintain them.
He said that the state was being assisted in rice and sorghum value chain in the World Bank and Federal Government intervention programme.
Adewumi said that the 36 states and Abuja were implementing the project which was intervening in the value chain of cassava, rice, sorghum and tomato.
Adewumi said that they were in the state to re-appraise the project toward its successful implementation when it winds up.
Similarly, Malam Haruna Dukku, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, promised that government would do everything possible to sustain the project which was already a huge success.
Dukku urged the team to help government improve the project before its termination.
Also, Alhaji Aliyu Kutigi, the State Project Coordinator, thanked the National Coordination Office for initiating the technical assistance, saying that the exercise would enhance the capacities of the states in implementing the project.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the project, with total cost of 425 million dollars and commitment of 250 million dollars, was approved on July 1, and scheduled to terminate on Dec. 1, 2019.
NAN also reports that the development objective of the FADAMA III project for Nigeria is to increase the incomes for users of rural lands and water resources in a sustainable manner.
It is also to contribute to restoration of the livelihoods of conflict affected households in the selected areas in the North East of the recipients’ territory.
The FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) proposes to finance two components while a new component known as Component Seven, which is Food Security and Livelihoods Support Investment Programme, will be introduced to the ongoing project. (NAN)
