Kogi seeks World Bank’s supports in rice production
The Kogi State government has called on the World Bank to support the state through its FADAMA III project to boost rice production and aquaculture in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Oloruntoba Kehinde, made the call during a courtesy call by a World Bank/FGN Mission Team which was in the state for midterm review of the FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) project implementation.
He told the World Bank team that the state has high potential in rice production and fish farming, given the large hectares of arable land and water that abound.
Kehinde said that the intervention would also enable the state to attain its desired target of becoming the largest producer of rice in the North- Central geopolitical zone, while addressing youth unemployment.
“We have just completed some arrangements with a private investor who will be establishing a rice mill, capable of milling 50 tonnes of rice per day, at Omi in Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.
“The federal government has also pledged to set up another rice mill with the same capacity in Ibaji, so, we must upscale our rice cultivation to produce paddy rice to feed these mills,’’ he said.
Oloruntobe appealed to the team to urgently consider the request, adding that the state government had already mobilised all the stakeholders to provide all the necessary logistics for the venture.
“We need the intervention because the resources that are available to the state may not be enough to pursue the project but if we have intervention from the World Bank and other development partners, we will be able to actualise all our rice development plans,’’ he said.
According to him, the present administration of Governor Yahaya Bello has placed priority on agriculture as a vital avenue to create jobs and wealth for people, curb crimes and ensure food security.
He commended the World Bank for its supports to the state’s agricultural sector, public sector and good governance as well as erosion control, assuring that the government would continue to collaborate with the institution for more development in the state.
Earlier, the FADAMA III -AF Task Team Leader, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, said the Team’s visit was meant to review the original design, objectives and implementations of the FADAMA projects in the state to identify the areas of success and failure in order to chart a better way forward.
He commended the efforts of the state government in the area of counterpart fund contributions which has enhanced implementation of the project in the state over the years.
Oredipe said Kogi had earlier signed a subsidiary agreement to access a $20-million facility but has so far drawn only $3 million dollars for its intervention projects.
He, however, said that a new window of opportunity to access the funds had opened with the extension of the programme by eight months for the benefit of the north-eastern states which were ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
He solicited the support of the Kogi government for the success of the Fadama III AF in the state by waiving the new order compelling all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to operate a Single Treasury Account (TSA), saying the practice would impede progress of the programme.