600 households rescued from poverty, says project coordinator

Over 600 households negatively affected by the Boko haram have been uplifted from poverty, after rehabilitations, through the 50-million dollar   Federal Government (FG)-World Bank intervention Fadama 111 Additional Financing (AF) project.

The National Coordinator of the programme, Mr. Tayo Adewumi disclosed this on Tuesday at Abuja during the dissemination workshop on ‘’ Fadama 111 AF 11 impact assessment report’’ given on North East.

Adewumi, who said the result of programme done through the local government community action plan from badly affected areas has attracted more people now coming for poverty alleviation, adding that the sum of 50 million dollars was distributed among the six states of the region.

He said that it was important that the project was continued as its intervention to the beneficiaries in the region during the four years has been able to provide food assistance and restoration of livelihood as income and social facilities were enhanced through capacity building with training and other necessary provisions.

The National Coordinator disclosed that 50 million dollars spent on the programme in the past three years Borno state got the highest of between 12 and 13 million dollars, followed by Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba and others.

He noted that the project has been very remarkable for being able to deliver people from poverty adding that efforts from other donors like World Food Programme have been very helpful to exceed ‘’our target by 30,000 beneficiaries’’ in the region.

He disclosed that ‘’ Fadama as project is moving with support of FMARD and World Bank. We have made tremendous impact and there is no state in the North East states that you will not recall the impact of Fadama in the restoration of livelihood and support assistant’’ said Adewumi.

He urged the FG and other donor partners to consider up- scaling of the Additional Financing II (AF-II) with the aim of providing succour to more households and communities that have been adversely affected by the insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country stressing that there are more people who are now back to their bases, but were not captured in the initial plans and now need support.

The Director Projects Coordinating Unit (PCU), Dr. Maimuna Habib advocated for more funding for the programme in order to reach more vulnerable people saying that only 8% of the household has been reached leaving out 92%.

She said that, ‘’North East requires an initial adoption of multipronged approach comprising of several interventions intended to increase agricultural productivity, productive asset creation, enhance access to rural services, increase community entrepreneurship and institutional capacity where strong instrumental stakeholders and partners will come together forming a synergy to strengthen a common course.’’

The Country Director, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRI), Dr. Kwaw Andam commended the programme, pointing out that the government’s effort at checkmating poverty in the North East by Fadama programme was commendable as economic losses due to displacement alone was put at US$450 million with farming becoming difficult in the region due to degradation, inadequate technologies and market disconnect.

He said that report by IFPRI had revealed the achievement of the government through Fadama programme of poverty alleviation in Nigeria and that the success story would be featured in IFPRI next publication.  

The Permanent Secretary, FMARD Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar who was represented by the Director Special Duties, Alhaji Zugaru Abdulahi, applauded Fadama III Aditional Financing saying that the agricultural and other economic activities in the North East region of the country had been greatly affected as a result of the insurgency and other activities of the terrorist organizations but that the programme had helped in driving the wealth creation vision of the FG through agricultural empowerment.