By Gami Tadanyigbe
Over 1,539 famers across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have benefited from the 4th batch of FCT FADAMA Cares pre-disbursement capacity building training in Gwagwalada Area Council.
The FCT FADAMA Cares Coordinator, Mr Usman Adangara, at the inauguration in Gwagwalada on Thursday, said the training through its capacity building component is designed to build capacities of participants in various areas.
Adangara said the FCT COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (FCT CARES) programme is a World Bank Budget support to the FCT Administration targeted at supporting existing and newly emerging poor households on agricultural value chains.
According to him, the training is designed to build participants in the areas of group dynamics, book and record keeping, environmental management, procurement, project monitoring and evaluation.
“The objective of FCT CARES Result Area 2 which Fadama is implementing is to increase food security and safe functioning of food supply chain.
“The FCT CARES Programme, which is being implemented using the World Bank Programme for Results financing model, will also leverage on the community driven development approach in financing community level programme investments.
“Therefore, this workshop will provide participants with relevant information about the programme concept, deliverables and implementation strategy.
“My address will be incomplete if I fail to acknowledge and sincerely appreciate the continuous support and guidance being provided to the FCT Fadama CARES Programme by the Agriculture and Rural Development,” he said.
He said the objective of Fadama III Additional Financing Project was to move farmers from subsistence to commercial production through ramping up of production supported by the project.
The coordinator maintained that the attainment of commercial farming was anchored on deployment as well as adoption of modern agricultural technologies and best practices.
He said the FCT Fadama III Additional Financing Office had facilitated the acquisition of quality inputs at the right time and at competitive prices to enable farmers make necessary preparations in good time.
The acting Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr Ishaq Sadeeq, said the event was a milestone towards the development of agriculture in the FCT.
Sadeeq said the training marks the attainment of yet another significant milestone in the efforts of FCT Fadama Cares Programme of the secretariat and FCTA towards the development of agriculture in FCT.
He said the programme is an emergency response being supported by the World Bank to help farmers recover from negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, in order to facilitate the attainment of the noble objective, the FCTA has allocated $4.5 million to FCT Fadama Cares with a target of providing grants to 12,283 individual farmers in 17 wet markets across the territory.
“I am glad to inform this august gathering that so far, FCT Fadama CARES had successfully disbursed grants to 2,630 individual beneficiaries from 41 Farmers Community Associations across the FCT.
“This result was verified by the Independent Verification Agents engaged by the World Bank during the first round of verification carried out in December 2022 and January 2023.
“The World Bank had reimbursed FCTA the agreed price of this result achieved, thereby leading to release of funds to FCT Fadama for this round of programme implementation.
“It is gratifying to note that this 4th batch of Capacity Building Training of Trainers workshop is to cover 1,539 beneficiaries from 22 armers commended the Fadama III Additional Financing Project in the FCT for its achievements in capacity building for farmers and distribution of inputs.
“This intervention to our esteemed farmers is a part of the untiring efforts of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) towards improving the lot of our rural farmers, thereby increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security in the FCT.
“The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is aware of concerted efforts being made by the FCT Fadama CARES Programme implementation team towards ensuring the successful and effective implementation of the programme,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Hajia Sa’adatu Mamman, thanked the organisers of the training and promised to use the knowledge acquired and farming implements given to her for development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among the farming implements distributed were fertilisers, spraying machines, rice seedlings, weed killers and Premiere feeds, among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)