$106M Ilesa Water Loan: Adeleke suspends project, launches probe on disbursement - NaijaAgroNet

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The Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has directed the immediate suspension of the project consultant for the Ilesa Water Project, Mrs Tawa Williams over questionable handling of $106 million dollar loan for the project.

The State Governor in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, ordered full scale probe of the entire project and disbursed loans especially as there is no progress on the project despite reported disbursement of N10 billion and another $28million on the project.

IFAD-funded project to help preserve Amazonian forest - NaijaAgroNet

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The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the State of Maranhão signed a financing agreement today for the implementation of the Amazon Sustainable Management Project (PAGES). Implemented in Brazil’s state with the highest poverty and food insecurity rates, the project will address the entrenched environmental degradation of the Amazonian forest.

The total project cost is US$ 37 million, of which IFAD will contribute with a grant of US$ 17 million, provided by the Government of Germany through the Enhanced Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP+). The Government of Maranhão will contribute $ 16 million, and the beneficiaries will provide in-kind contributions of $ 4 million.

GBV elimination: Centre LSD commences project on male engagement - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Concerned over the lack of male engagement in reducing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), has kicked-off the implementation of a male engagement project on Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), as well as Harmful Traditional Practices in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The programme, NaijaAgroNet gathered is an initiative of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) under the Spotlight Initiative, envisioned a Nigeria where all women and girls, particularly the most vulnerable, live a life free from violence and harmful practices, by addressing the linkages between sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices with related aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights as a cross-cutting theme.

The project lead, Mr. Vincent Dania, Centre LSD, told NaijaAgroNet the focus will be on prevention efforts particularly addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and harmful practices (child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation) against women and girls; and ensuring access to inclusive, timely, and quality services for victims and survivors with a vibrant CSOs and women movement.

“The Centre will work with other implementing partners to achieve the goal of the Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria,” he said.

The Centre’s role in the project, he said, would include “Mobilizing men and setting up platforms of men against Sexual & Gender-Based Violence at the community level; strengthening the capacities of identified traditional, religious leaders and media.  It will also identify and train male advocates and champions at different levels (community, state and national) to continuously speak up against Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG); engaging male opinion leaders to secure support for VAWG, gender equality and the empowerment of women; and train women and girls’ rights defenders in relevant skills to better engage with religious leaders to end VAWG and HP.”

Further, NaijaAgroNet gathered the Centre LSD will be implementing the project in two states, namely Lagos and Cross River.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Dangote rice targets 1m tonnes in 2018, launches youth graduates farm project @Kogi

NaijaAgroNet:

A multi-million Naira Youth Farming Initiative that will engage teeming unemployed Nigerian graduates in rice farming has been launched by the Dangote Rice Limited in Kogi State, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This is coming as the company says its preparing to hit the market with One million metric tons of Dangote rice in 2018.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by Francis Awowole-Browne, informed that the Dangote Youth Rice Farm project, mainly an out-grower scheme for youths only was flagged off at the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, Kampe, Ejiba in Yagba West local government area of the state where youth have embarked on rice cultivation over 100 hectares of land.

He quoted Group Executive Director at Dangote, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, as saying that the rice farm project, was preceded by a special training for the youth farmers on the dynamics of the rice farming, will see the youths cultivating the rice paddy on a 100 hectares of land, which will then be bought over by the company for processing.

Under the scheme, he explained that the Dangote Rice Company would provide the seedling, anti-pest-chemicals, and fertilizers while the Basing Authority provided the land for the young farmers.

Mr. Edwin explained that the project is a new dimension to the efforts by the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Group, at ensuring food security and creating job opportunities in Nigeria especially for the youths saying this Initiative is in line with the vision and commitment of Dangote Industries Limited to create a new generation of agri-preneur that will revolutionize the Nigerian agricultural sector.

“We believe skill, knowledge, enabling environment, collaboration and linkages along the value chain are driving forces for economic empowerment and social development in line with the Federal Government policies. This project will address the skills gap in local rice production among unemployed youths by providing technical, organisational and financial requirements.”

He said it would also enhance domestic rice production to cover the large gap between demand and domestic production and to increase self-sufficiency of Nigeria and substitute imported rice by quality Nigerian rice brands.

Mr. Edwin disclosed that most modern rice mills in Nigeria presently operate at not more than 20% capacity utilization due mainly to lack of good quality paddy and that Dangote Rice aimed to change this situation developing and adapting out-grower schemes. According to him, the Dangote Rice Company plans to set up a 150,000 metric tons integrated rice mill and sale one million mt of parboiled rice by 2018.

The Dangote Group boss stated that the decision of the management to start the project was driven by two factors, one of which is the need for youth employment through empowerment to go into agriculture. “The youths are more vulnerable to crimes and other social vices when they have nothing to engage them and this in turn affect the nation negatively.

“The second factor is the need to strengthen the on-going efforts at producing rice for self-sufficiency so that we can save foreign exchange. By the time we will be doing one million metric tons of rice next year, no less than three million jobs would been created along the value chain.”

Mr. Edwin said the Kogi pilot project will cover four season of two years and will be launched in four other states soon.

In his own remark, the Managing Director of Dangote Rice, Mr. Robert Coleman urged the youth farmers to concentrate on the project and pay attention to details so that they would come out with good paddy yield.

He congratulated the farmers for the decision to partner with Dangote Rice noting that they have a solid source of livelihood for themselves and members of their families if they give their all for the success of the scheme.

The Coordinator of the youth farmers, Umar Etudaye thanked the management of Dangote Rice for believing in them and engaging them for the project. He promised that they would deliver on the mandate given to them on the project.

He stated that the scheme is a practical step towards nation building because it’s the youths, who constitute 40 per cent of the population, would build the nation and only the youths that are empowered and gainfully employed could do that.

Ogo Nebenanya/GEE

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New IFAD-supported project boosts rural economy, livelihoods

NaijaAgroNet:

A total of 60,000 Angolan rural households in Cuanza Sul and Huila provinces will benefit from a financial agreement, signed today between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Angola, that will generate revenue and boost food and nutrition security of poorer households. The project will increase smallholder agriculture productivity, production and marketing for selected crops and will place a special focus on women and young people.

The financing agreement for the Smallholder Agriculture Development and Commercialization Project in Cuanza Sul and Huila Provinces (SADCP-CH) was signed in Rome by Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, and Florêncio Mariano da Conceição de Almeida, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Angola to IFAD.

The total cost of the project is US$38.2 million, including a $28.8 million loan from IFAD. The project will be cofinanced by the Government of Angola ($8.2 million) and by the beneficiaries themselves ($1.1 million).

During Angola’s 26-year civil war, the agriculture sector was devastated and productivity plummeted. Due to instability, many smallholder farmers reverted to subsistence farming to feed their families. What minimal surplus they had, they sold in local markets. SADCP-CH will help subsistence farmers increase agricultural production and productivity through improved agricultural practices and technologies. Farmer field schools will strengthen the skills of smallholders and their organizations.

With most agriculture in the region dependent on rainfall, SADCP-CH will also enhance access to water and more efficient water use. It will develop small-scale irrigation systems, focussing on the rehabilitation of existing schemes that cover about 500 hectares in the project area.

Support will be provided to farmers’ organizations to promote climate resilient agriculture for key priority food and horticultural crops, while working to promote investments aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening market linkages. 

For example, the project will pilot and promote low-cost technologies for storage and processing of perishable products. This will help farmers capitalize on the market, rather than being subject to opportunistic traders that are well aware of product perishability. The expectation is that the increased demand for goods and services in rural areas will spur the creation of non-farm jobs, in particular for the young people.

Since 1991, IFAD has financed six rural development programmes and projects in Angola for a total cost of $139.7 million, with an IFAD investment of $76.0 million directly benefiting 261,600 rural households.

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Dickson commends FG’s water project in Ogbia

NaijaAgroNet:

The governor of Bayelsa State, Hon Seriake Dickson has commended the efforts of the Federal Government leading to recent completion and commissioning of the Central Ogbia Water Project at Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Governor Dickson, who gave this commendation when the Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, paid him a courtesy call in Yenagoa, expressed delight that the project would meet the water needs of several communities in the area.

He stressed the need for those, who occupy positions of public trust to show true commitment to the completion of projects they inherited, pointing out that, the infrastructural deficit confronting most states and the Federal Government is as a result of reckless abandonment of government policies and programmes.

"This is the type of cross-party collaboration and continuity that should inform government policies. So, I like to thank the Federal Government for establishing this water project and the present administration for seeing to its completion for the beneficiary communities and people of this state to benefit," he said.

Highlighting the importance of water for both domestic and industrial use, the Governor said his administration would spare no effort to ensure the provision of potable water for the people of the state, despite the environmental challenges posed by the terrain and oil spills over the years.

He, however, called for more collaboration between the state, Federal Government and other development partners within and outside the country, noting that, the magnitude of work and financial resources required to meet the potable water requirements of the people was beyond the reach of the state government.

Governor Dickson, who also solicited the support of international organisations with the requisite financial and technical expertise, appealed to the National Assembly and the executive arm to carry Bayelsa along in their annual budgetary allocations for water projects across the country.

"If you look at Bayelsa from the outside, you will think there is so much water to drink. But the sort of water we have here, has its challenges because of the prolonged environmental issues that have arisen as a result of our being host to most of the oil producing companies.

"In the past four years that we've been here, we've tried a number of initiatives in terms of getting the right technology. So, we want to work closely with the Federal Government, its agencies and all partners across the globe, who have the capacity both in terms of financial muscle and technical expertise to ensure that we make potable water available to our people," Dickson submitted.

In his remarks earlier, the Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, who was accompanied on the visit by the House Committee Chairman on Water Resources, Hon Aliyu Pategi, the Managing Director, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Hon. Onoye Beredugo among other top officials said his team was in the state to commission the Central Ogbia Water Project, which was initiated by the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He noted that, the project would be handed over to the state after the commissioning for beneficiary communities to use.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson