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

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...

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...

NEWS FEATURE: Kaduna's Unhealthy Health Sector

One of the neglected health facilities in Kaduna Metropolis By NASIRU JAGABA jagabanasiru@gmail.com During a recent trip to Kafanchan to receive a Humanitarian award from 'One Voice Foundation', I used the opportunity to continue my survey the revitalization of the 255 Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Steven Magee cautions, "If you want to be lied to, all you have to do is believe everything that the government tells you". These are the strategic priorities of the State's Development Plan (SDP): governance and stewardship; health services delivery; health financing; human capital resources. Compositely too are health infrastructure, management information systems, research and development, education and promotion, partnership, community ownership and participation; maternal and child nutrition are the strategic priorities of Kaduna State's Development Plan (SDP). This strategic document has always been governed by a medium term ...

DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE

Prof. Simon Iritwange Acting President Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria 'Farmers must access quality seeds for food security and sufficiency' - Professor Iritwange P rofessor Simon Iritwange is the Acting President Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (YFPMAN) and a Senior Lecturer with the University of Agriculture Makurdi, Benue state. The University Don exudes passion when issues concerning agriculture in the country are raised as was the case during the recently concluded 2-day strategic stakeholders meeting in Kaduna on the vital need for the production and even distribution of quality and improved seeds and seedlings in the country. He strongly be...

'Terrorists are all over, not only Southern Kaduna'

-Governor Nasir el-Rufai el-Rufai addressing Journalists in Hausa after a security meeting on Southern Kaduna By DANGWA DANJUMA G overnor Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai has admitted that terrorists are everywhere in Kaduna state, not only in the troubled Southern Kaduna, disclosing that miscreants have taken to the social media space to promote what he called disturbing and further aggravating the worsening situation situation with religious and ethnic colouration. Speaking to newsmen in Hausa, after a meeting with security officials, el-Rufai said that miscreants from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and outside Nigeria are trying to insinuate that the Southern Kaduna killings is ethnic and religious even going as far as asking people to take the law into their hands. While maintaining that these people would be brought to book, he tasked traditional leaders, religious leaders and political office holders in the state to speak the truth about the happenings as failing to do so wo...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog