NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has flagged off the distribution of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to selected farmers in the State. The ceremony which was held in the Doma Local Government Area signified the disbursement of a World Bank-facilitated Agro-climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL to farmers from ten communities.
The governor said that the loan disbursement was in fulfillment of the shared vision of the State and Federal governments to support farmers to enable them to boost food production in the country. He noted that his administration had recently distributed twenty-three tractors and farm inputs to ten thousand croppers across the thirteen local government areas of the State to support their enterprise.
The ACReSAL loan, Sule said, is a revolving and interest-free facility for farmers, aimed at boosting agricultural ventures and improving the livelihoods of the beneficiaries. The benefitting communities, he noted are chosen from Doma and Toto LGAs, in response to the adverse effects of climate change on farming activities and livelihoods. The governor pledged to continue to collaborate with development partners to provide support and resources to ameliorate the effect of climate change “We are partnering with the Federal government, and World Bank through the ACReSAL project to help vulnerable communities to adapt to the impact of climate change.”
The approach, the governor said will be to “Enhance farmers and communities’ capacity for climate-smart agriculture through technology and innovation and enhance understanding of sustainable agricultural practices to help address conflict,” he said, adding that the government will assist farmers in implementing climate resilient initiatives that will outlast the lifespan of the ACReSAL project. While appreciating the World Bank for choosing Nasarawa among the pilot states, Governor Sule implored the beneficiaries to utilize the money for the purpose it is meant for.
Task Team leader of the ACReSAL project, Dr. Joy Iganya-Agene said that six hundred and twenty farmers comprising three hundred and sixty-seven male and two hundred were given the interest-free loan. Iganya-Agene, also a senior Environment Specialist at the World Bank’s Nigeria office, said States go through a process to be able to access funds for the investment. V the criteria, she noted, include “Technical and demonstration of commitment where technical aspect is the banking design while the demonstration commitment is the physical activities carried out during the project.”
She said the visible commitment of the Nasarawa State has earned her an uptick in the consideration of future projects. “Without commitment and demonstration, of the activities done so far, the organization wouldn’t have been in the State. And because of the success of the record, the State has qualified her to move from tier one to tier two,” she announced.
Also addressing the gathering, the Country Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, Kofi Dominic described Nasarawa State as one of the leading subnationals with huge agricultural potentials. He said the organization is committed to working in partnership with the State to promote agribusinesses in the State.