Nigeria, 11 Others to Benefit from W/Bank Agric Project
- By Simeon Ogoegbulem
- Published March 14th, 2011
- News
- Unrated
Nigeria and 11 other West Africa countries are to benefit from a World Bank assisted regional agricultural project. The project, which is coming under the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (Waapp) will gulp a total of $300 million (about N45 billion). The other countries that would benefit from the Waaap programme are Ghana, Mali. Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. Others are Liberia, Togo, Benin, Gambia and Niger.
World Bank experts, who stated this, in Abuja last week, said the program is expected to help Nigeria increase productivity and create direct employment for about 1.5 million Nigerian farmers, especially youths and women. The project is also expected to complement the efforts of the World Bank through the National Fadama III project to boost food security in the country.
Nigeria’s share in Waapp is $51 million (about N7.65 billion) out of the $300 million (about N45 billion) approved for the 12 countries in the West African sub region. Out of the US$ 51million allocated to Nigeria, US$30 million (about N4.5 billion) will come from the Economic Community of West African States Funds (Ecowas Funds).
The sum of $15 million (about N2.250 billion) would be sourced from the international development association (Ida) while the balance of $6 million (about N900 million) would come from free grants from the Global Food Crisis Response Programme (GFPR). The implication is that Nigeria will pay back only the interest-free US$15 million to the Ida in 40 years with a grace period of 10 years. Nigeria contributes between 60-65 per cent of Ecowas funds.
Mr. Abdoulaye Toure, the task team leader for the programme, who led a team of agricultural experts on the mission to Nigeria said the project has started yielding results in some participating African countries such as Mali where technologies developed for rice has increased farm productivity from 2 to 9 tons, per hectare, while Nigeria’s farm productivity currently stands at 2.5 tons per hectare. Toure said Nigeria is expected to play a key role in championing this regional agricultural programme in order to scale up research and technology adoption to enhance agricultural productivity in the West Africa. He noted that many of the participating West African countries are looking up to Nigeria for leadership in the Waapp project
The Waapp project is expected to assist farmers in agro-processing and value addition for agricultural products. The first phase of the project was approved in 2007 and has since provided Ghana, Senegal and Mali with agricultural research systems and regional research coordination and monitoring through the West African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WACARD).
Agriculture is a priority for Nigeria towards the attainment of Vision 20-20-20. Reports show that current food import bills in Nigeria are high while productivity of Nigeria’s agricultural commodities are very low when compared to other countries in the sub-region.
World Bank experts, who stated this, in Abuja last week, said the program is expected to help Nigeria increase productivity and create direct employment for about 1.5 million Nigerian farmers, especially youths and women. The project is also expected to complement the efforts of the World Bank through the National Fadama III project to boost food security in the country.
Nigeria’s share in Waapp is $51 million (about N7.65 billion) out of the $300 million (about N45 billion) approved for the 12 countries in the West African sub region. Out of the US$ 51million allocated to Nigeria, US$30 million (about N4.5 billion) will come from the Economic Community of West African States Funds (Ecowas Funds).
The sum of $15 million (about N2.250 billion) would be sourced from the international development association (Ida) while the balance of $6 million (about N900 million) would come from free grants from the Global Food Crisis Response Programme (GFPR). The implication is that Nigeria will pay back only the interest-free US$15 million to the Ida in 40 years with a grace period of 10 years. Nigeria contributes between 60-65 per cent of Ecowas funds.
Mr. Abdoulaye Toure, the task team leader for the programme, who led a team of agricultural experts on the mission to Nigeria said the project has started yielding results in some participating African countries such as Mali where technologies developed for rice has increased farm productivity from 2 to 9 tons, per hectare, while Nigeria’s farm productivity currently stands at 2.5 tons per hectare. Toure said Nigeria is expected to play a key role in championing this regional agricultural programme in order to scale up research and technology adoption to enhance agricultural productivity in the West Africa. He noted that many of the participating West African countries are looking up to Nigeria for leadership in the Waapp project
The Waapp project is expected to assist farmers in agro-processing and value addition for agricultural products. The first phase of the project was approved in 2007 and has since provided Ghana, Senegal and Mali with agricultural research systems and regional research coordination and monitoring through the West African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WACARD).
Agriculture is a priority for Nigeria towards the attainment of Vision 20-20-20. Reports show that current food import bills in Nigeria are high while productivity of Nigeria’s agricultural commodities are very low when compared to other countries in the sub-region.
