Kwara Increases Number Of FADAMA NG-CARES Project’s Beneficiaries
By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has increased the number of farmers that would benefit in the first disbursement of the Kwara Fadama NG-CARES project.
Announcing the approval of additional 3,000 beneficiaries before the Community Facilitators at the Kwara Fadama Office, Ilorin, the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Busari Toyin Isiaka, said the addition, which would include crop farmers, would complement the 3,000 livestocks farmers earlier proposed to be captured in the first disbursement slated for the first six months of the project implementation, adding that the development would enhance the platform to come up with 6,000 beneficiaries in the disbursement.
He recalled that the Fadama NG-CARES Project, which is an agricultural intervention programme, was initiated to cushion the effects of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Busari further explained that while the livestock disbursement would cover only eight LGAs (Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Asa, Oyun, Offa, Moro and Edu), the crop disbursement (involving Rice, Maize and Soya beans) would be spread across the 16 Local Government Areas in the State.
The Coordinator, who declared that Governor AbdulRazaq took this decision to widen the chances of opportunities for poor and vulnerable farmers, said “the Governor believes such intervention is an effective measure to enhance food security.”
According to him: “With this new development, the platform has been strengthened to be able to reach out to 6,000 beneficiaries instead of 3,000 in the first six month of implementation. Remember that this project will last for two years, meaning that there will be four events of disbursement within the period of two years, this will make the aggregate of beneficiaries 19,695.
“For this wonderful step and on behalf of all the affected farmers in the State and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, I am thanking His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Fadama NG-CARES Project is, to an extent, an ameliorating mechanism to hunger and poverty.
“As a delivery platform, we assure that we will not let the governor down. The Fadama NG-CARES Project will translate into a remarkable lifeline for the beneficiaries and an epochal achievement for the State.”
The Coordinator then charged all the Community Facilitators to handle the exercise with commitment and ensure that duplication of beneficiaries is avoided.
Other members of the Project Implementation Unit that made presentations to update the facilitators at the event included the Community Development and Gender Officer, Dr. (Mrs.) Adebukola Adeyemi, Technical Officer (Inputs) Engr. Abdulmalik Zubair, Technical Officer (Assets), Hajia Ramat Abdulmalik and others.
Also in attendance were the other staff of the Kwara Fadama NG-CARES Coordination Office.