Economic Growth: FGN/IFAD VCDP Invest over 329 million US Dollars In 63 Councils Areas In Nigeria.
Over 329 million US Dollars have been invested in nine states of 63 local government areas in Nigeria, including Anambra State with nine local government areas by the FGN IFAD VCDP, towards enhancing the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers and small/medium – scale agro-processors along Rice and Cassava Value Chains.
The FGN IFAD VCDP, designed in 2011 and became full disbursement effective in 2015, after receiving two additional financing services in 2018 and 2019, is excepted to be completed in 2026 with final closure in 2027.
All these came to the fore during a two- day media roundtable, organised by the FGN IFAD VCDP for journalists at Abuja aimed at influencing government and policy makers to create an enabling environment for Agricultural value chain development by providing funding and policies to drive value chain approach among others.
Declaring the event open, the National Programme Coordinator, NPC, FGN IFAD VCDP, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, disclosed that with the original loan, 2018 and 2019 Additional Financing Services, the total direct beneficiaries are one hundred and thirty-five thousand Households, one hundred and twenty-one thousand Producers, and fourteen thousand Processors and Marketers.
Dr. Aliyu listed unavailability of farmers matching grants, short fall in government counterpart funds, farmers-herders conflicts and climate change on Agriculture as some of their main challenges.
For Knowledge, Management and Communication Advisor, FGN IFAD VCDP, Mrs Vera Onyeaka-Oyilo, the essence of the media roundtable was to interact and intimate participants on what they do, their progress so far, and most importantly, discourse and have an action plan on how to increase FGN IFAD VCDP impact as they gradually wind down.
The event climaxed with question and answer session.
