The Rivers State Government through the State Employment and Expenditure for Opportunities and Result (SEEFOR), has disbursed a total of 29 million naira to empower rural farmers, youths and widows in all the LGAs of the state to boost their agricultural production.
Speaking at the official flag-off of Disbursement to farmers in Rivers State under the SEEFOR funded FADAMA III Project, the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Rivers State, Mr. Emma Chinda said that the state government had taken its time to map out plans that will ensure effective utilization of the fund.
Chinda noted that the project will gulped to N100million but has to be released in bits as time progresses. He further disclosed that those that will benefit from the World Bank assisted project are not “portfolio farmers” and the need to be careful with any project that is World Bank assisted.
Earlier in his address, the state project coordinator, Rivers State FADAMA Coordination Office, Prince Kingsley O. Amadi, recalled that the National FADAMA III Project was an agricultural diversification project designed by the Federal and State Governments of Nigeria and assisted by the World Bank with the major objective of sustainably increasing the productivity and incomes of the rural farmers.
Amadi stated that the project which kicked off nationwide in 2009 and implemented in 20 LGAs of each state of the federation was adjudged by World Bank and State Governments to be successful, hence its extension to 2017 in four states of the Niger Delta which include: Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo.
While Mr. Emos Kelcius, Project Regulator, SEEFOR, enumerated on the machineries that are being put in place to checkmate the FADAMA III project and ensure its successful implementation. ###
Blaise Elumezie
