The Federal Government is to implement 93.55 million US dollar (about N28.6 billion) loan and grants for farmers under International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and state governments financing
for seven northern states, the National Programme Coordinator of IFAD-CASP, Muhammad Lawal Idah, has said.
Idah, who made this known yesterday at a media sensitization meeting in Katsina, said IFAD would make available $70 million loan, which is 74.8 per cent of the total cost of the Climate Change Adaption and Agribusiness Support Programme (CASP) in the Savannah Belt of Nigeria.
He also revealed that IFAD would give $0.48 million which is 0.5 per cent of the total programme cost as grant while ASAP grant accounts for $15 million, about 16 per cent of the total programme cost.
He said the programme is scheduled to be operated in 104 local government areas in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe States and 111 village areas with counterpart funding from federal and participating state governments.
Idah explained that the programme under IFAD and state governments’ financing would be in 17 local government areas and 111 village areas but the remaining local government areas would be taken as buy in completely funded by the concerned state and local governments.
He disclosed: “The CASP is aimed at reducing rural poverty, increasing food security and accelerating economic growth on a sustainable basis.
It builds on the lessons learnt from the previous Community Based Agricultural Rural Development Programme (CBARDP) that applied the Community Development Association (CDA) model as the primary entry for implementation.”
