NPC. Mr. Akwashiki Haruna |
Read his responses to some of the salient questions.
What is
the whole idea behind the creation of ATASP-1 Project?
In 2009
the Federal Republic of Nigeria adopted Vision 20:2020 which laid the
overarching policy framework for Nigeria to become one of the top 20 economies
in the world by the year 2020.
This requires an annual economic growth of
13.8%, and a transformation of the primary products oriented economy
(agriculture and crude-oil production) to an industrial, manufacturing and
services oriented economy. Towards implementing the Vision 20:2020, the present
Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) under the leadership of President
MuhammaduBuhari is making deliberate effort to attract private sector
investment in agriculture, reduce post-harvest losses, add value to local
agricultural produce, develop rural infrastructure and enhance access of
farmers and other value chain actors to financial services and markets.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) in
collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development
designed the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-1
(ATASP-1), which is being funded by the AfDB as its contribution to
agricultural development in Nigeria. The ATASP-1 is being implemented in 5
years (2015-2019). The objective of ATASP-1 is to ensure attainment of food and
nutrition security, contribute to employment generation and wealth creation.
The key outcomes include: Creation of 120,000 jobs; empowerment of 200,000
youths and women on various agricultural enterprises as well as production of
20,000 metric tonnes of food crops per annum for a period of 5 years of
implementation.
This
project is being implemented in four agro processing zones of the country. What
informed the choice of these zones?
The choice of these zones was a result of
various assessments of the capacities of selected States which revealed that
the four Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZs) of Adani-Omor, Bida-Badeggi,
Kano-Jigawa and Kebbi-Sokoto had comparative advantages in the three
agricultural commodities that the Project is promoting. These crops are rice,
sorghum and cassava.
ATASP-1 is covering 33
LGAs in Seven States of Anambra, Enugu, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Niger and Sokoto
with a land area of 194,426 square kilometers and a population of 32,121,944
people who are predominantly farmers. The participating states indicated their
willingness to support the implementation of the project.
Let’s look at the states that are benefiting from this
project. I am aware that they are expected to pay counterpart fund. Are they
really responding positively in that regard?
Despite the dwindling resources experienced by
the participating States, Jigawa, Anambra, Enugu, Kebbi, Sokoto and Niger have
paid their counterpart funds for 2016. Only Kano State is yet to contribute its
counterpart fund. However, Kano provided a befitting office accommodation and a
vehicle for ATASP-1 Zonal staff based in Kano. Niger and Kebbi States also
provided office accommodation and a vehicle each for the ATASP-1 staff. As I
mentioned earlier, the participating States are supporting ATASP-1. You may
also note that 70% of ATASP-1 fund is for infrastructure development.
The
Program is into the construction/rehabilitation of abandoned infrastructures
such as irrigation schemes, feeder roads, potable water facilities, primary
schools, rural markets, health centres, technology demonstration centres etc.
These infrastructures fit into the development agenda of the Governments.
So far, how will you assess the
implementation of the project?
I can confidently inform you that the project implementation is
progressing rapidly. Construction works on social infrastructure is at various
levels of completion across the four (4) zones and some of them are ready for
commissioning. Meanwhile, contracts for the road projects and irrigation
schemes are to be awarded in January 2018. Roads Evaluation Reports have been sent to AfDB for permission to
enable us award the contracts. Engineering design and cost estimates for
irrigation schemes have been completed.
Two (2) health
facilities are ready for commissioning in the zones. Ten (10) Number water supply
schemes at Adani-Omor ,Bida-Badeggi and Kebbi-Sokoto are ready for
commissioning. One number technology demonstration centre is ready for
commissioning at Adani-Omor SCPZ while 3 Nos Youth Training Centres are 100%
completed.
These are located at Kubwa
(FCT); Minjibri (Kano State) and Onne (Rivers State). On the level of Value
Chain Development, over 40,000 youths have been empowered on various
agricultural enterprises as a way of job creation intervention for the youths.
The beneficiaries have also been trained on seed production technology,
agronomic techniques as well as agro-processing technologies in all the
participating States.
Sir, how many
communities, smallholder farmers are currently benefitting from the projects
and what is the total number of clinics, rural roads the project hopes to
achieve and how far, so far?
Presently, 200 rural communities in 33 local
government areas of Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi and Sokoto
States are benefiting from the project. A total of 692 demonstration farms have been established across the zones on
rice, sorghum and cassava. 52,410 beneficiaries have been reached directly
through the program intervention. And 152,651.7 metric tones of food have been
produced and released into the domestic economy. ATASP-1 has linked the
beneficiary farmers to off-takers. Such off-takers include: Honeywell Flour
Mill; Northern Nigeria Flour Mill; Labana Rice Mill; Atagiri Rice Mill; Onyx
Rice Mill; Tara Agro Industry; Nigeria Starch Mill etc. This approach has tackled
the issue of absence of market for the products of the farmers.
ATASP-1 is constructing a total of 14 clinics
in the Program areas. Two (2) clinics are ready for commissioning. The
remaining ones are at various stages of completion. A total of 52 potable water
supply and sanitation facilities are being constructed. But ten (10) numbers
are ready for commissioning. Fourteen (14) community produce markets are being
constructed. Four (4) Technology Demonstration Centres are under construction.
Twenty eight (28) primary schools are at various stages of completion. Three
(3) Youth Development Centres have been completed. These are located at Kubwa
(FCT); Minjibir (Kano State) and Onne (Rivers State).
The Centre at Kubwa has
been commissioned by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Chief AuduOgbeh, OFR. A total of 267.79km of roads are to be
constructed. The evaluation reports on the bids received from contractors have
been sent to AfDB for no-objection to enable us award the contracts. On
irrigation schemes, the designs and cost estimates have been received from the
consultants and are being reviewed by ATASP-1 Engineers in preparation for
onward transmission to AfDB for no-objection to enable us advertise.
What are the challenges being faced while implementing donor
supported projects in Nigeria?
Some of the challenges being
faced while implementing donor supported projects in Nigeria include: untimely
payment to contractors, untimely payment of counterpart fund, and long Procurement
Processes. Others are unwillingness of the financial institutions, especially
commercial banks to lend to farmers and other actors along the commodity value
chains and poor extension services to
women due to inadequate availability of female extension agents. The available
male extension agents have limited access to women farmers due to cultural and
religious beliefs.
Lastly
sir, are there specific areas the project will focus on in 2018?
We will
ensure that before the end of first quarter, 2018, all the social
infrastructures are commissioned and handed over to the beneficiaries. In
addition, contracts for construction of roads and irrigation schemes will be
awarded before the end of February, 2018. Furthermore, deliberate attention
will be on youth capacity building and empowerment. This is in line with the
effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria under President MuhammaduBuhari to
develop infrastructure as well as youth empowerment.
The information is quiet useful, Many Thanks
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