The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been commended for recording great achievements in Enugu State through its support to farmers using its Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP). The commendation came from a member of the State House of Assembly, Ho. Ejike Eze, who represents Igbo-Eze North 1 Constituency in the state. Hon. Eze who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Agro-Industralisation, made the commendation during a visit to the agency. The committee was there as part of its oversight functions in its areas of coverage.
The lawmaker said the visit became necessary to ascertain the impact of the programme on the lives of rural farmers and the state, especially after the last budget.
While emphasising that the visit was a friendly and brotherly one, Hon. Eze said it was part of their legislative business to familiarize and oversee agencies and ministries under Agriculture. He said, “We are here to know how far IFAD has done since the presentation of the budget last year, 2023.”
The committee expressed satisfaction with the performance of the state coordinator and his team but pleaded that the programme be expanded to accommodate other local government areas that were not captured.
“What IFAD VCDP is doing in the state knowing fully well that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of the State is highly passionate about agriculture in Enugu. We are ready to partner with both IFAD and any agencies on agriculture on any policy that would promote agriculture in line with His Excellency’s vision,” Eze assured.
In his presentation, the State Programme Coordinator (SPC) Dr. Edward Isiwu, listed what the programme had achieved within the short period of time. Isiwu informed the Committee that IFAD has been in Nigeria for more than 35 years with different programmes running concurrently, adding that in 2014, the concept of Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) came onboard with six states of the Federation namely Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba after a conclusion that the two major crops consumed in Nigeria on almost on daily basis were Rice and Cassava.
“During the review of the activities of those States, the International Fund for Agricultural Development scaled up the programme by extending the Programme for more years thereby adding the three new States; Enugu, Kogi and Nasarawa and that was how Enugu came onboard in 2019 and was expected to start implementing in 2020.
“But for COVID-19, the Programme had a delay. However, in 2021, a lot of sensitisation was done in the selected five (5) LGAs of Aninri, Enugu East, Isi Uzo, Nkanu East and Udenu and farmers were profiled into the Database,” he remarked.
The coordinator said from inception, the programme had done so many activities ranging from capacity building of the farmers on good agronomic practices. He said the programme had equally constructed mini-bridges, culverts, market stalls, market stores, land developments, solar powered boreholes, rice mills, cassava processing centres, crèche, parboiling sheds, drying slabs, effluent chambers, water harvesters and others.
Isiwu noted that the project has also supported beneficiaries with agro-inputs and farm equipment. He told the committee that among the nine participating states of the programme, Enugu State hosted the organization’s Associate Vice President of IFAD when he visited Nigeria mid-March this year, attributing it to the landmark impacts the programme was making in the lives of rural farmers in Enugu.bush
