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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

FG/IFAD-VCDP distributes equipment, empowerment tools to Kogi farmers, PWDs

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • The Federal Government/IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme in Kogi State distributed agricultural equipment and start-up packs to farmers and 33 Persons With Disabilities.
  • The intervention aims to promote inclusion, self-reliance, and sustainable livelihoods across five local government areas.
  • Beneficiaries received training and support, with PWDs receiving aid at no cost, while farmers contributed 30% to equipment costs.

The Federal Government/IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has distributed agricultural equipment and start-up packs to farmers and 33 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Kogi State. The initiative, held in Lokoja, aims to foster inclusion, self-reliance, and sustainable livelihoods among beneficiaries in Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Ibaji, Olamaboro, and Kabba-Bunu local government areas.

Timothy Ojomah, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Permanent Secretary Moses Dare, stated that the intervention demonstrates a commitment to inclusive development. He emphasized Governor Ahmed Ododo's dedication to agricultural advancement, poverty reduction, and supporting vulnerable groups. "This is not merely about providing equipment. It is about creating opportunities, promoting self-reliance, strengthening livelihoods and restoring confidence," Dare remarked, urging beneficiaries to utilize the items productively and engage with cooperative structures.

This is not merely about providing equipment. It is about creating opportunities, promoting self-reliance, strengthening livelihoods and restoring confidence

— Moses DarePermanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Kogi State, speaking on the IFAD-VCDP intervention.

Dr. Stella Adejoh, State Project Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP in Kogi, highlighted the program's belief that "disability is not inability." While farmers contributed 30 percent of the cost for their equipment, the support provided to PWDs was free. Items distributed to PWDs included rice, tables, chairs, bowls, and Point of Sale terminals, following training on small business operations. Approximately 300 farmers received equipment such as knapsack sprayers, solar-powered pumps, threshers, wheelbarrows, and shovels.

Additionally, 350 women received energy-efficient cooking stoves linked to briquetting machines that convert agricultural waste into clean fuel. Adejoh expressed confidence in the sustainability of the intervention and urged beneficiaries to use the items as intended. The VCDP has profiled 7,575 farmers and supported about 5,600 along the cassava and rice value chains, aiming to strengthen agricultural value chains, boost farmer productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance food security in the state.

disability is not inability

— Dr Stella AdejohState Project Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP in Kogi, on the program's philosophy.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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