By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Niger state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago says that his administration has paid N6 billion as counterpart funding to development partners since assuming office.
Bago stated this on Monday when he received a Technical Team for the 10th FGN/IFAD Supervision Mission of Value Chain Development Program on a courtesy call at the government house in Minna.
The governor who maintained that the state government was poised to match all funds with partners assured that the state government would do its part to settle its funds with the IFAD.
“You will get the maximum cooperation you deserve from us. We will further collaborate with you beyond this program because of your good work so you can advise us on the way forward.”
Bago, who solicited for partnership with IFAD in boosting the state’s shea tree, mango, and cashew value chain said that the state government was planning to boost its agricultural sector to constitute 90- 95 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
“As you know, Niger state is the largest state in Nigeria. Over 76,000 square kilometers of stable land, bodies of fresh water, and temperature region.
“We have the highest concentration of shea trees in the world and these plants are wild.
“The value chain for that has not been explored and we hope you can start looking into those areas,” he said.
On his part, the Team Lead from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Samuel Eremie explained that the mission will review the progress of implementation of the value chain development program (VCD) in the state.
“The objective is to access the progress implementation of the value chain development program. We are also going to discuss with the state government any challenges they might have faced in the implementation of the program and together, reach a recommendation of improved implementation of the program.”
This online platform reports that the IFAD VCD program was initiated in 2015 with Niger State selected for the pilot.
The program is scheduled to come to an end in December 2024.
