Cross River spends N350m on IFAD, FGN, NDDC programmes

 The Cross River State government says it has so far spent over N350 million in the implementation of the various programmes of IFAD/FGN/NDDC community-based natural resource management programmes in the state.

This was made known by James Aniyom, the state commissioner for agriculture. The IFAD/FGN/NDDC community-based Natural Resources Management Programme-Niger-Delta Cross River State is aimed at improving the livelihoods and living conditions of rural poor through institutional strengthening and Community Development Fund (CDF) interventions.

It is one of the Federal Government programmes that addresses poverty reduction, mostly in the core poor communities of the nine Niger-Delta states of Akwa-Ibom, Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Imo.

According to Aniyom, the objective of the programmes is to improve the quality of life of the rural poor household. The programmes also provide assistant in the following areas, bore-holes to communities that don’t have, agro-processing mills, construct roads and culvert in some communities, raise nurseries for farmers to have improved seeds, and provide sustainable livelihood development to the poor households.

Aniyom said this on the occasion of the empowerment scheme of farmers/youths of IFAD/FGN/NDDC community-based Natural Resource Programme as no fewer than 20 youths benefited from various forms of empowerment, out of which three were physically challenged, at the state capital.

The commissioner said the programme had made some substantial progress and achievements by reaching out to 125,000 beneficiaries with 13,162 (7549 males and 5813 females farmers trained). He said under the small-scale infrastructure component, six schools buildings have been completed, three community halls completed, four piggery projects, six poultry projects, six goats projects and six grass cutter projects completed.

He said 140ha of cassava, 70ha rice and 10 yam minissett production farms have been cultivated with 450 farmers reporting on productivity/yield increases, 24,000 oil palm seedlings raised with 20ha oil palm plantation planted in seven communities in the programme.