Kebbi State partners IRFDP on rice, fish production

As part of efforts to boost food security in the country, Kebbi State has partnered Integrated Rice and Fish Diversification Project (IRFDP) to improve rice and fish production.

While speaking during the courtesy visit of the IRFDP team to his office, in Birnin Kebbi, Governor Nasir Idris, said agriculture is among priorities of his administration, assuring them of government’s commitment to the success of the project.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bala Tafidan Yauri, the Governor also implored the “IRFDP team to expand the programme to cover all the 21 local councils in the state.”

Speaking earlier, the Team Leader, Prof.Emmanuel Ajayi said the project with Kebbi and Ebonyi states was launched with the view of diversifying agriculture, particularly rice and fish farming.

Ajayi said IRFDP as a project gains its support from USAID in collaboration with University of Ibadan, Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto and partners, with the target of integrating fish with rice production.

He said the project chose Kebbi as leading state in rice and fish production in the country, followed by Ebonyi State.

According him, the project was also aimed at improving food security in the country.
Ajayi mentioned that under the project, stakeholders in the state were already trained on the diversification of rice and fish farming using technology.

TheGuardian / Foluke Ibitomi