World Bank to support FG agriculture transformation with $500m

The world Bank is to support the Federal government agriculture transformation proramme with 500 million dollar so to reduce poverty across the country.

The World Bank Fadama Task Team Leader, Dr. Abimbola Adubi disclosed this yesterday when the team who are on visitation mission to the state paid a courtesy call on deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi.

Adubi said the World Bank having looked into the proposal of the federal government agricultural transformation programme decided to support with $500 million dollar in stable crop processing, technologically improved crops and agriculture infrastructures.

He further disclosed that the world Bank is also supporting Fadama project with $200 million in the production of Cassava, rice and horticultural crops, saying that Kogi is the only states chosen for cassava production due to its comparative advantage of the crop.

According to him, they are in the state to access the staple crop processing zone, knowing the state’s commitment and readiness, interact with stakeholders and farmers to know their constrain and generate action plan to jump-start the programme.

He said the World Bank is committed to making the project work, as the money is ready for release , saying that they hope to get the same kind of commitment from the state government as regards to prompt payment of counterpart fund and other things that would make the project work.

Responding, the Deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi, who receive the team of behalf of the governor, assured of the state government’s commitment to make the project work so as to derive the benefit associated with the project.

According to him, the state government has put in best practices in terms of commitment and accountability by all stakeholders involved in agriculture transformation in the state, assuring of its readiness to pay counterpart fund regularly.