Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has directed the release of N900 million counterpart fund for the state’s World Bank-assisted programmes as 19 northern states benefit from the $700 million World Bank Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme.
He gave the directive yesterday when he flagged-off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertiliser and farm inputs as intervention to 640 farmers across the 25 local government areas of the state.
The event which was in collaboration with the Niger State government, Fadama-Nigeria Covid19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus and Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) is supported by the World Bank.
While commending the World Bank and other development partners for their support to the state, the governor directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure the balance for the counterpart fund amounting to N900 million is paid immediately.
The governor emphasised the need for everyone, especially the youth, to engage in farming as incentives from the federal government are not sustainable and therefore directed that every local government in the state should cultivate 10,000 hectares of land within the next one year.
Governor Umaru Bago said the effort was geared towards demonstrating his administration’s commitment to taking advantage of the arable land in the state to develop agriculture.
The items distributed are 78 metric tonnes of NPK and Urea fertilizer, 4.75 metric tonnes of rice, maize and sorghum seeds as well as some implements.
He said each of the 640 beneficiaries is to get two bags of 50kg NPK fertilizer, one bag of 50kg Urea fertilizer, two litres of herbicide, one litre of pesticide and 10kg of rice and maize, as well as 5kg of sorghum improved seeds.
National Coordinator, ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar who highlighted the activities of ACReSAL, disclosed that $700 million had been earmarked for the project to be tapped by the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory and the project is also targeted at improving the agricultural sector to enable farmers boost agriculture to ensure food security.