KOGI: Over 200 Beneficiaries Receive Community Revolving Loan for Climate Smart Agricultural Venture »

….as Gov. Ododo express commitment to alleviating poverty through massive investment in Agriculture.

As part of its continued efforts to revolutionise agricultural practises and ensure food security, Kogi state government on Wednesday presented community revolving loans to 208 beneficiaries all of whom were grouped into 10 community clusters, 5 each from Kabba and Okene Local government with each community cluster receiving a loan of $25,000 (Twenty Five Thousand Dollars) each.

The loan which was facilitated under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in partnership with the World bank which provided a total of $250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars) and Kogi state was amongst other 7 states that benefitted from its pilot phase.

Governor Ahmed Ododo in his remarks during the flag off expressed that his administration was committed to alleviating poverty through massive investment in the agricultural sector noting that his administration wants kogi farmers to see farming as a big player in the business world.

He added that in less than 5-months his government has fulfilled another of its campaign promises which specifically touched on empowering farmers to provide food for the people through the provision of capital funds adding that he recently flagged off the wet season farming where he opened up thousands of farming hectares, accompanied with the provision of machineries and adequate seedling made available to farmers.

He added that the project would help to acheive two major outcomes including the provision of capital for farmers and further addressing gender inclusion by empowering the women and launching them into the big farming league as over 70% of the flag off beneficiaries are women farmers.

The governor said his administration see the ACReSAL project as priority for economic prosperity because of its objective to reduce high poverty rate, land degradation and improve livelihood acknowledging that these objectives align with the vision of his administration which aim to support farmer to boast agricultural productivity, strengthen institutional capacity, guarantee the safety of the people and ensure the utilisation of technology for the advancement of its vision.

He clarified that the flag off was the pilot phase of the project assuring that other communities and local government areas of the state were billed to benefit from subsequent phases while emphasising that monitoring mechanisms would be in place to ensure the programme’s success and get the maximum benefits of the scheme.

The governor said the loan would boast agricultural productivity and also improve livelihood in the rural areas noting that only authentic farmers would benefit. He however implored beneficiaries to use the loans solely for the purpose intended urging them to also ensure to pay promptly so as to enable others benefit from the community revolving loan scheme

He assured that his administration would continue to seek global partnership and support in a bid to cushion the effects of climate change and tackle poverty in the state. He added further that government is also aware of the need for adequate security for farmers to be effective hence his government has developed a template for farmland security by employing local hunters and vigilantes to provide farmers with security. He said his government had also activated its Rapid Response ability to receive distress calls from farmers while adequate security gadgets and patrol vehicles have been provided across the 21-LGA of the state.

The governor also affirmed that the capacity of the Local government chairmen has been strengthened to ensure community policing adding that the chairmen, community leaders, security agencies are all part of the state’s critical Stakeholders and were partners in ensuring the success of the scheme.

He noted that efforts were also in top gear to reclaim some of the vast lands in the state from gully erosion which has led to the serious degradation as contracts for the gully reclamation and rehabilitation of three locations in Okene, Kabba and Ankpa were on track while contractors have been moved to site.

The governor thanked the state development partners, the World Bank for their continued support, the ACReSAL team, the Royal fathers for their active roles alongside other critical stakeholders of the state noting that Kogi state belonged everyone, hence all hands must be on deck to ensure the achievement of great goals.

Earlier in her remarks, the Project Coordinator, ACReSAL (Kogi state project management unit), Bar. Ladi Ahmed Jato said the ACReSAL in partnership with the world bank project is a six year project involving 19 states including the FCT with the aim of increasing the adoption of sustainable landscape management and to strengthen the long term framework for integrated climate resilience landscape management in Northern Nigeria.

She added that the Community Revolving loan programs has the purpose of addressing low agricultural productivity, reduce poverty and encourage the practise of climate smart agricultural practise in kogi state. She mentioned that climate smart agricultural practise has since become very pertinent, owing to the issue of climate change and its effect on agricultural productivity.

While reeling out some of the achievements of ACReSAL including the provision of clean cooking stove to rural women across the three senatorial district, provision of solar powered bore holes, street lights, restoration of degraded lands through its ongoing reforestation programs, plans to procure more tractors for farmers, she mentioned that the state governor has recently mobilisation contractors to site for the rehabilitation of three gully erosion site in Ankpa, Kabba and Okene.

The Royal fathers who were present at the flag-off; the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje and the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owodele Adeniyi in their separate remarks lauded the state governor for his relentless investments in the agricultural sector as well as his numerous efforts aimed at empowering those who are the down trodden in the society.

They noted that the traditional institution would continue to play its role of ensuring peaceful co existence while promising to continue to support the government of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo to succeed in his task.

One of the beneficiaries, Sefinat Abdulsalam who spoke at the event on behalf of others expressed gratitude to the government for responding to the plight of the farmers through its programmes and policies. She pointed out that the funds would be used by the cluster for the purpose meant for so that the state would be empowered to do more for the people.