The new National Programme Coordinator of Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase 1 (ATASP-1), Mr. Ibrahim Muhammed Arabi has expressed concern that lack of adequate counterpart funding from stakeholders is one of the major challenges facing the programme.
Arabi, who spoke in Abuja during his maiden engagement with agriculture journalists on Tuesday said his focus is to quickly complete the remaining social infrastructures and fast track total implementation of the economic infrastructures such as irrigation facilities and rural feeder roads as well as training of 40,000 youths in the various value chain activities before the end of the programme in 2020.
He said the five-year programme being executed in partnership with African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development developed ATASP-1, with partnership funding ATASP-1 to the tune of USD174.85 including grant facility which has adopted a holistic approach to tackling the challenges confronting agriculture in Nigeria.
He said ATASP 1 that is currently ongoing in 200 rural communities, 33 local government areas in seven states of Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi and Sokoto States has trained over 20,000 farmers and processors that includes youth and women on Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) and food processing across the four zones.
He said the programme used the strategy of capacity building/training amd empowerment of farmers, women and youth, among others across the three commodity value chains of rice, cassava and sorghum alongside rural infrastructure development.
Arabi said the program has contributed to food and nutrition security, job and wealth creation objectives of Nigeria’s agricultural policy and that about 299,615 jobs have been created compared with a target of 120,00; while a total of 209,464mt of food, valued at N36.2 billion has been injected into the economy as against a target of 100,000mt and the increase of income of farmers and entrepreneurs by 20.5% at mid term review (MTR) of the programme.
This according to him gives confidence that the target of 25% increase in income for the programme beneficiaries is achievable at the end of the programme.
