Kogi to enhance agric for women, youth empowerment

Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi state has said that his administration would enhance agriculture for the empowerment of women and youth in the state.

The governor disclosed this while receiving the 5th World Bank/Federal Government joint mission to the state on FADAMA 111 Additional Financing (AF) implementation team on a three day visit to the state.

‘Given that many states of the federation face myriad socio-economic challenges hinged on dwindling resources from the oil sector, my administration would repackage agriculture to empower women and youths,’ Bello said.

Bello who was represented by Simeon  Achuba, deputy governor of the state, said ‘for us in Kogi agriculture stood as a confirmed quick win to bridge the funding gap created by the dwindling fortunes of crude oil and its  accompanying economic challenges.”

He stressed that Kogi farmers have small scale holdings of about 0.5 hectare on the average and the cost of clearing as a result of thick vegetation is generally prohibitive for many. He appealed to the World Bank to increase land-clearing allocation to the state by 100 percent.

The governor also promised that the state would pay its counterpart fund for 2015 and 2016, adding that it had already committed N56, 355 million as counterpart fund for 2014.

Tim Diche, the state commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources who led the team to the governor hinted that ‘Kogi state is strategic to cassava production because the state has good soil to take farmers to the next height.’

Diche also disclosed that the supervision team was in the state to monitor level of implementation of FADAMA (cassava) project in addition to revisiting commitment to the counterpart fund.

Also in his address Shehu Salau, the World Bank team leader said the FADAMA project was intended to boost food security, create job industrialized Kogi state economy.

He also said the focus of additional financing is a drive for value chain and market for the produce and enjoined the state government to partner the private sectors to boost the programme.

The team lead tasked the governor to provide land right to farmers, saying that FADAMA project has already cleared about 300 hectares of land for cluster farmers in Kogi state.

VICTORIA NNAKIAIKE