IFAD-VCDP: Niger Stakeholders To Sustain Programme Beyond December

The International Fund for Agricultural Development – Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) in Niger has advised the participating Local Government Councils to support farmers to sustain the programme, when it winds down in December.

The State Programme Coordinator, Hajiya Hadizat Isah, gave the advice during a sensitisation on a sustainable development strategy of IFAD-VCDP Additional Financing (AF), held in Bida Local Government Area (LGA).

The sensitisation would be carried out in the eight benefitting LGAs of Bida, Katcha, Kontagora, Shiroro, Wushishi, in addition to Borgu, Edati and Mokwa adopted in the VCDP AF.

According to Isah, the local governments are closer to the farmers, who are the direct beneficiaries of the VCDP.

“There is the need for the eight participating LGAs to support their farmers financially and with inputs and implements to sustain the programme, when it ends in December,” she said.

She stated that the measure would help in achieving food security for the nation as the 32,400 farmers participating under the VCDP in the state had been exposed to Good Agricultural Practice (GAP).

“Right now, we have 32,400 farmers profiled under the VCDP programme in Niger.

“As the programme ends in December, we want all the projects executed to be sustained.

“This is why we have embarked on this sensitisation for the farmers and local government authorities to collaborate to ensure its sustenance,” Isah said.

She also said that under the programme, the VCDP helped the farmers to adopt GAP, constructed feeder roads, rice processing centres, constructed cassava processing centres and market stalls.

She said that the programme also assisted in constructing VIP conveniences, bridges, boreholes, dry slabs, crèches and culverts, amongst other projects.

Responding, the Secretary to Bida Local Government, Alhaji Mohammed Danjuma, assured the VCDP that the council would help its farmers to sustain the programme by providing roads and other necessary assistance.

The representative of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Minna Branch, Mrs Juwaretu Ohiare, said that the company offers insurance cover to farmers at 50 per cent subsidised rate.

Ohiare said that the Federal Government pays 37.5 per cent, while the state and benefitting farmers pay 12.5 per cent and two percent, respectively.

She said, “In 2022, the farmers suffered losses as a result of flooding and we paid them over N14 million.”

The Director, Dokoyogborolo Rice Processing Enterprise, Bida, Hajiya Hajarat Mohammed, who benefitted from the programme, thanked the State and Federal Governments and  IFAD-VCDP for the gesture and assured the stakeholders that the GAP learnt from the VCDP would be sustained.

Also, the Chairperson, Arome Cassava Centre, Bida, Mrs Priscilla Ibrahim, said that the IFAD-VCDP exposed the group to GAP in the production and processing of cassava.

The VCDP, which started in the state in August 2014, later added VCDP+AF, owing to its successful implementation and the achievements recorded.

Also,the intervention project in rice and cassava, which was supposed to wind down in December 2019, was extended to December 2024 with VCDP+AF, due to the large number of farmers that benefitted from it.

IFAD-VCDP is a collaborative project among Federal Government, IFAD and the nine participating states of Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba and Ogun.

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi