Kwara Govt. Inaugurates committee to enhance Food Security

The Kwara State Fadama Technical Committee- Fadama NG-CARES Platform has been inaugurated.

The committee was inaugurated in accordance with the project operation manual of the Result Area2 and for the purpose of effective implementation of the project.

Inaugurating the Committee, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajia Marriam Nurudeen Mohammed, stated that the Committee is tasked to meet at least twice in every six months or at anytime determined by the Chairman.

Hajia Mohammed said that the Committee was to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the project.

The specific terms of the Committee  are to assess the progress of implementation, review and approve work plans and budgets for the Kwara State Fadama NG-CARES platform.

Fadama, is an Hausa name for irrigable land.

Hajia said that the State Fadama NG-CARES Coordination Office would be the Secretariat of the Committee.

The Permanent Secretary, who doubles as the Chairman of the Committee, congratulated the members and charged them to take the task as a vital commitment to actualise Governor AbdulRazaq’s objective towards increasing food security and safe food supply chains in the State.

She also thanked the state Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq  for coming to the aid of the poor and vulnerable in the State at the right time through this agricultural programme.

Presenting the general overview of the committee before her members, the State Project Coordinator, Engineer Busari Toyin Isiaka, dwelled on the agricultural inputs and assets to be disbursed to the prospective beneficiaries.

Busari explained that the Kwara State Fadama Coordination Office is into two  disbursement linked indicators ( DLIs) disclosing that inputs for crop and livestock are captured under DLI 2.1, while assets for production and primary processing are found under DLI 2.3.

The Committee has as its Chairman, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajia Marriam Nurudeen Mohammed, Managing Director, Kwara Agricultural Development Project, Director, Livestock Services,Director, Fishery Services, Director, Agricultural Engineering Services, Director, Veterinary Services, Director, Agricultural Services, and Representative of the Ministry of Environment as members.

Others are the Representative of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Representative of the Ministry of Local Government, the Representative of Farmers’ Community Associations  and the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Fadama NG-CARES, Engr.  Busari Toyin Isiaka, as the Secretary of the Committee.

The Fadama NG-CARES Result Area2, was one of the five platforms initiated by the state to cushion the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the platform is particularly to intervene in the lives of the poor and vulnerable agriculturally, hence, enhancing food security.