The Kogi State Coordinator of the International Fund for Agricultural Development/Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD/VCDP), Dr. Stella Adejoh, has received an ‘Award of Excellence’, bestowed on her by the Gaskiya Cluster Women Marketers in the state.

Presenting the award on Wednesday in Lokoja, the Chairperson Gaskiya Cluster, Hajia Lare Sule, said the Award was meant to appreciate Dr Adejoh for supporting Gaskiya women through IFAD-VCDP with facilities to boost their rice farming and marketing activities.

According to Sule, Kogi VCDP headed by Dr Adejoh, has created enabling environment for them with the provision of Rice Processing centre, Dryer slab, Market stall and Solar powered borehole, which have been of immense benefits to them.

She added that arrangements had also been concluded by Kogi VCDP to install Transformer for them for electricity supply to their communities.

”With all these massive development happening in Gaskiya centre, we, the marketers dimmed it necessary to give an award to our Sate Programme Coordinator, Dr Stella Adejoh.

”Before now, we don’t have the hope of survival but the coming of Kogi VCDP has changed the narrative, making us to have a place to process and sell our rice thereby improving our wellbeing.

”Since we don’t have money to give Dr Adejoh, the only way we think we can appreciate her is to show the whole world that we are happy with her, Kogi VCDP, and the Federal Government,” Sule said.

Responding, Dr Adejoh, appreciated the marketers for considering it fit to honour her with the award of Excellence, saying ”her joy knows no bound”.

She expressed her gratitude to Kogi State Government for creating the conducive environment for VCDP activities to thrive in agricultural sector in the state.

Dr Adejoh further thanked His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, for providing the necessary physical and moral support as well as prompt payment of the state’s counterpart fund, saying that alone has been boosting her energy to do more for the state.

In the same vein, Dr Adejoh, thanked the federal government for the initiative in providing the facilities to support vulnerable grassroot farmers to ensure food security in the state.

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The federal government has begun the distribution of free farm inputs to more than 560 rural farmers in Kogi State

The distribution is on the platform of the Value Chain Development (IVCDP) Programme supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Speaking at the inauguration on Friday in Lokoja, the National Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Dr Fatima Aliyu, said that the gesture was to boost food security and cushion the damaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic on rural farmers.

She noted that that the VCDP was a joint programme of the Federal Government and IFAD and is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

According to her, the project aims at improving the incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.

”In early 2020, there was an outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which affected the world and disrupted farming activities and food systems.

”To cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on farmers, IFAD gave a grant tagged Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) to VCDP through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

”The grant is meant for vulnerable farmers in VCDP states of Enugu State, Kogi, Nasarawa State, Anambra, Benue, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi to sustain production and help them recover more quickly from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

”Through the RPSF 2,793 vulnerable farmers will receive agro inputs to support their farming activities.

”A total of 560 farmers will receive these inputs free consisting of 40kg certified rice seeds, 2 litres of herbicides, two bags of NPK fertiliser and one bag of Urea fertilizers in Kogi state,” she said

Aliyu was overwhelmed by the efforts and commitment of the state programme Coordinator, Dr Stella Adejoh, saying that is why Kogi State is always ahead of others in the COVID 19 palliative.

She noted that VCDP would also provide extension services to targeted farmers who would receive trainings on good practices in the application of fertiliser and agro-che.

”We recognizse and appreciate the support of IFAD in our quest to improve the livelihoods of our small holder farmers and specifically to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the agricultural sector particularly for VCDP farmers.

”To our respected farmers, we implore you to make judicious use of the inputs. The inputs are not meant to be sold out but for you to use them on your farms.

”We are going to support you with extension services and monitor your progress to ensure you have better yields to enhance your food security and incomes and ultimately your standard of living,” Aliyu said.

He thanked Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for his commitment and support to the VCDP, and assured him of their unwavering collaboration with the state to improve the livelihoods and income of the farmers.

In his remarks, the Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Apeh, who inaugurated the inputs’ distribution, said that government would not relent in providing secured environment for farming activities to thrive in the state.

Earlier, the State Programme Coordinator, Dr Stella Adejoh, expressed her joy and fulfillment over the exercise, urging the farmers not to play with their tomorrow by selling the input.

She said that the 560 rural farmers cut across the four rice producing local government areas of Lokoja, Ibaji, Ajaokuta and Kabba/Bunu, adding that the initiative was meant to reduce the pains brought on the people by the outbreak of the pandemic.

She noted that IFAD-VCDP operations and activities which started two years ago had made positive impacts on the lives of the rural farmers.

She said that since inception, many communities across the state were provided with rice processing centres with processors, drying slabs and solar powered boreholes, among others.

She thanked the state Government. Yahaya Bello for providing the enabling environment for the IFAD/VCDP programmes to thrive in the state.

She assured that IFAD would collaborate with relevant stakeholders for effective monitoring and supervision of the beneficiaries down to their farms for judicious use of the inputs,”Adejoh said.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Salihu Abdullahi, Chairman Magajiya farm cluster, Lokoja, commended the IFAD-VCDP for the initiative to alleviate the sufferings of rural farmers.

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No fewer than 560 vulnerable rural farmers in Kogi would benefit from the Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF), aimed at cushioning the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on rural farmers.

The RPSF is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Value Chain Development Programme, supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (FGN/IFAD-VCDP).

Speaking to journalists on Friday in Lokoja, Prof. Aminu Suleiman, who led a Team on a Supervision Mission to Kogi, said they were in the state to access the level of preparedness towards the implementation of the RPSF.

According to him, the RPSF is a grant given to rural rice farmers to cushion the shock of COVID-19 pandemic across the States of the federation including Kogi State.

Suleiman expressed satisfaction with the preparation on ground in Kogi, and commended the State Gvernment for its commitment to supporting the IFAD programmes in the state.

He further applauded the State’s Programme Coordinator, Dr Stella Adejoh and her team for always put in all their best to see to the successful implementation of all IFAD-VCDP projects in the state.

On her part, Dr Stella Adejoh, State Programme Coordinator of IFAD/VCDP, said lots of people lost their means of livelihood during the COVID-19 pandemic, and consequently faced with hardships.

She explained that the IFAD decided that such vulnerable persons affected by the pandemic in the society should be helped in order to bring them out of their poverty situation.

She said the farmers would be provided with grant inform of inputs by IFAD such as fertilizer, certified rice seed, selective and non selective herbicides, among others.

She noted about 80 per cent of the farmers’ beneficiaries are women and youths who have been profiled and validated by a team of consultants from IFAD who came to the state in 2021.

She said a total of 560 rural farmers cut across the four rice producing local government areas of Lokoja, Ibaji, Ajaokuta and Kabba/Bunu, in the state.

According her, the inputs include: 1400 bags of NPK fertilizer, 461 bags of Urea fertilizer, 186 pieces of both selective & non-selective herbicides, and 340 bags of 50kg (17 tonnes) of certified Rice seed Faro-44.

Dr Adejoh added that the State Government provided IFAD with warehouse at Kogi ADP office where those inputs were being stored.

”We want to thank Kogi State Government who has provided the enabling environment for the IFAD/VCDP programmes to thrive in the state.

”I feel very excited because of the feedback we are getting and the support the programme is receiving from the Kogi State Government.

”I am very happy and grateful to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, for always supporting Agricultural Development Programmes in the state,” she said.

She assured that IFAD is collaborating with the International Fertiliser Distribution Company, who would give support in the area of inputs’ distribution, monitoring and supervision to ensure proper utilisation the intended purpose.

”We will monitor the beneficiaries down to their farms for effective utilisation of the inputs,” Adejoh said.

Earlier, the team paid a courtesy visit to the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. David Apeh, where they thanked the State Government for fully supporting VDCP activities in the state.

Apeh assured the team of the commitment of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, to continue to give the needed support to the program for the benefits of Kogi rural farmers.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Kogi ADP, Mr Bello Ogirima George, who warehoused the farm inputs, thanked the VDCP for the initiative.

He, however called for more collaboration and support for ADP, saying it would go a long way in strengthening the activities of IFAD/VCDP in the state.

The team further interacted in separate discussions with the farmers’ women and youth groups in both Kabawa and Magajiya clusters to know the plight and challenges being faced.

The team lead encouraged the farmers to be more hardworking to increase the size of their farm land from one hectare to three hectares, saying government was ready to assist them with the needed inputs as well as buying their farm produce through offtakers no matter the quantity.

In their separate comments, the youth and women leaders of both Kabawa and Magajiya Clusters, Seidu Liman and Aishat Abdullahi respectively, commended the VCDP for the intervention and promised to judiciously utilised the inputs.

”We are very excited for the intervention especially after this COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to them,” Liman said

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