The World Bank has given a pass mark to Fadama III programme in Nigeria for the success recorded in the implementation of its programmes ahead of its Dec. 31, 2019 closing date.

The World Bank Fadama III AF Project Task Team Leader, Dr Adetunji Oredipe on Wednesday told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that Fadama III programme had achieved its objectives of increasing the incomes of Fadama land and water resource users.

NAN reporta that the World Bank Fadama III AF Project with a total project cost of 425 million dollar is being executed across the country.

According to him, this has gone a long way to reducing rural poverty, increase food security as well as contributing to the achievement of the SDGs Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“The project had taken the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach, which placed the beneficiaries on the driver’s seat.

“The project had contributed to the agricultural transformation and development in Nigeria in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), food security, youth and women employment and rural development and World Bank is happy for this,’’ he said.

Oredipe said the local community members under the umbrella of Fadama Community Associations (FCAs) and Fadama User Groups (FUGs) were in charge of overseeing the design and implementation of the project.

This had gone a long way to empower their skills and capacity-building as well as improving their livelihoods through income generating activities.

The team leader said as at the last count in June 2018, the programme had recorded 309,164 direct beneficiaries and the bank was still counting because there were updates at every mission.

Accordingly, he said in addition to food security, the programme had improved some of the root, tuber and grains in the country.

Oredipe said that in terms of the Addition to Food Security (AFS) the yields of cassava before the programme was 5.27 tonnes per hectare.

He said that added to the National Food Security programme with an increase to 24.8 tonnes per hectare.

He said that rice had also moved from 2.83 tonnes per hectare to 5.11 tonnes per hectare, sorghum 1.54 tonnes per hectare to 2.12 tonnes per hectare.

“Tomato has recorded a drastic change, leaping from 1.6 tonnes per hectare to 29.69 tonnes per hectare due to availability of improved technology, preparation of lands and other additional support.’’

According to him, in terms of coverage, the programme has covered hectares of land more than 19,431 hectares of cassava, 131,210 hectares of rice, sorghum, 38,887 hectares, and 15,793 hectares of tomatoes.

The team leader said at full circle of harvesting in 2018, high increase was recorded on food production which includes addition of 841, 53 tonnes of cassava, 1.5million tonnes of rice, 184,978 tonnes sorghum and 1.2million tonnes tomatoes were added to the production.

He said that for the bank, it was also a success story, adding that the farmers were also supported on the field with consultants in all areas of farming.

Oredipe said that as a further step, Fadama 111 applied N9 billion of the proceeds as credit support to over 6000 graduate youths, under the Youths Unemployment Scheme of the project and women to become agro-preneurs.

“Many of them have undergone agric entrepreneurship training of the project and have been supported with financial grant to set up small agric business in the area of the choices.’’

Oredipe said the North East food Security and Livelihood Emergency Support Project which commenced in 2016 with the disbursement of 50 million dollars projects fund to benefiting states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe had exceeded its targets. (NAN)

Update news