USAID set to boost Agricbusiness in Kaduna

Rural smallholder farmers at work

A ground-breaking agricultural initiative tagged 'Feed the Future' under the aegis of USAID, has been unveiled in Kaduna state to strengthen the business enabling environment, promote private sector investment and broaden access to finance to boost food security, with special emphasis on the ease of doing business in the state's agricultural sector.

This renewed move, Cubinks learnt, is focused on seven states of Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger, where no fewer than five thousand small and medium enterprises are expected to receive credit from financial institutions to the tune of 200 million dollars between now and the end of the year 2023, for accelerated agricultural development.

Apart from empowering small and medium enterprises in the sector, 'Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity, with Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture(CNFA), as the prime implementing partner, aims to viably and sustainably link thousands of micro, small and medium size enterprises(MSMEs) and producer organizations with high-performing commercial actors in the rice, maize, soybean, aquaculture and cowpea value chains.

Declaring the Agribusiness Finance and Investment Summit open, Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the newly-created Ministry of Business and Innovation and Technology, Dr Haliru Musa Soba, reiterated the state government's commitment and determination to move the agricultural sector to enviable heights, noting that the coming of the USAID's Feed the Future project into the state was timely and would undoubtedly lead to a win-win situation for the state.

Responding, Managing Director/Chief of Party of the five-year agricultural programme, Dr Adam Saffer, expressed delight over the impressive turnout of all stakeholders in the sector, assuring that given the enormous potentials of Kaduna state in the field of agriculture, coupled with streamlined regulations, more effective policies, improved production and processing practices as well as significantly increased finance and investment flows, the project would increase competitiveness and returns of both large and small scale agricultural enterprises in the state.

While maintaining that the essence of the project was to identify the challenges, opportunities and solutions and see how agriculture could become a profitable venture for all stakeholders in the sector, Dr Saffer explained that the project would also work assiduously towards expanding access to financial services across the value chain, through informal, community-based savings plans; formal and informal credit guarantee programmes; and insurance offerings as the case may be.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the state's Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Sani Sabiu, who spoke on the need to create a more conducive environment for agribusiness investment, disclosed that the state recently procured 300 tractors as part of its renewed effort to make the sector more attractive and technologically-driven to enhance and promote what he called out-grower/off-taker relationship in the sector.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Da All-Green Seeds Limited, a Kaduna-based seed company, Engr Stephen Yakubu Atar - one the resource persons at the event - in a brief interview with Correspondents, commended the effort of USAID for championing the Feed the Future project, revealing that his outfit is working tirelessly in the area of improving seeds and seedlings for increased productivity and profitability in sector.

The one-day finance and investment summit which attracted experts from the Bank of Agriculture, Agronomists, Finance Managers, micro, small and medium size enterprises, cooperative societies, individual farmers and other critical stakeholders in the state's agricultural sector, ended with the organizers' assurance that it would facilitate 200 million dollars in new lending and 100 million dollars in new investment across the seven states earmarked for the project.

Comments

TRIBUTE: Dr Bala Takaya 1930 - 2018

Bala John Takaya (2nd Left) at a function recently By Nasiru Jagaba Again, with rude shock, death has come upon us in the early hours of Sunday, 27th May, 2018. It is with deepest regret that the Middle Belt Youth Wing of Middle Belt Forum mourns the death of our President, Father, Mentor, and a tireless advocate of equity, fairness and justice, Dr Bala John Takaya, the President of Middle Belt Forum has silently closed the door of life and departed from us, never to return. 68 years old Takaya, an unparalleled University Senior Lecturer, a distinct politician who served as the Secretary to State Government of the old Gongola State, a member of the 1987 Political Bureau. On the fight to restore democratic system of governance, he worked hand in hand with Chief Solomon Lar. Also, in 1999 he was the governorship candidate of the All People’s Party, APP later ANPP. He is much esteemed in the community of Middle Belt and generally recognized as on...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Kaduna's 'Comprehensive Urban Renewal Programme'

A comprehensive roads-repairs-and-rehabilitation programme has reached an advanced stage to address the worrisome condition of urban and sub-urban roads in Kaduna state, as part of a renewed and systematic approach of the Kaduna State Roads Agency (KADRA) to deliver dividends of democracy. KADRA’s Managing Director, Engr Lawal Mohammed Magaji who made this known in his office, in a chat with correspondents and leading members of the civil society who paid him a courtesy visit to be abreast of operations and the workings of KADRA revealed that the agency has bought into Commitment 2 of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), of the Governor el-Rufai-led administration, which has to do with openness and transparency. “ I am very delighted by your visit. I used to have a wrong impression of some civil society organizations. Initially I thought civil societies were there to confront government and fine fault where there is none. I now think differently, especially given ...

Outcry over a Woman's Inhumanity

DANGWA DANJUMA F ollowing intense investigation and reports by BREKETE FAMILY a flagship radio programme on Human Rights Radio and Television station focusing on human rights abuse, on how Deborah Babaji Longs, a personal assistant to Mrs Mariam Ahmodu Ali, spent three days in a dog’s cage without food or water, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested the wife of former People’s Democratic Party National Chairman and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Col. Ahmodu Ali (rtd). The story of Deborah Babaji Longs, who worked as Mariam’s personal assistant, featured on Human Rights Radio and Television aka ‘Berekete Family’ on Saturday March 26, 2022 following a report of her alleged imprisonment by Mariam Ahmodu Ali. Narrating her ordeal, Deborah told Brekete Family under oath that Col. Ahmodou Ali, his two daughters and a son-inlaw witnessed the life threatening humiliation and blows meted out to her by Mrs Ali in the middle of their living room in their Abu...

Coalition cautions against Nigeria's Disunity

N etwork for Better Nigeria, a coalition of concerned Civil Society Organizations in the 19 Northern States has responded to the growing tension threatening national unity and socio-economic development of the country and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently collaborate with the governors in the 19 northern states and critical stakeholders to arrest the lingering insecurity in Nigeria. In a joint statement signed by Mallam Isiaku Abdulhameed, the coalition in collaboration with Arewa Youth Consultative Youth Movement, Arewa Youth Assembly and Chanchanta stated inter Alia: "the Federal Government should urgently collaborate with the Northern State Governors and come up with a modernistic livestock development policy which will not only provide solutions to the herders/farmers crises but transform the age long traditional open grazing towards providing additional economic value for pastoral communities. Equally, we wish to express our support on the position...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog