BY PETER DURU

MAKURDI—An estimated 9.2 million rural poor Nigerians are reported to be direct beneficiaries of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, programme in Nigeria.

Nigerian youths

Benue State Project Coordinate of IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, Mr. Emmanuel Igbaukum, made this known at the Flag off of the distribution of inputs to rice farmers by the Olam Group at Tse-Terzar in Guma Local Government Area of the state.

Quoting reports of the Independent Office of Evaluation, IOE, released in Abuja recently, Igbaukum said “the infrastructural and agricultural projects supported by IFAD-VCDP in the rural communities have gone a long way to improve the livelihood and food production capacity of the benefiting rural dwellers.

“While we commend the Olam Group for partnering the programme in Benue state we are happy to state that Benue is the first under the IFAD-VCDP to embark on dry season rice farming which is currently being harvested.”

Igbaukum who stated that the programme was targeting 14.2million poor Nigerians said it had already provided many idle Benue youths opportunities to embrace agriculture as means of livelihood.

Speaking, the Vice President of Olam, Mr. Reji George said as ‘off takers’ his firm would continue to providing rice farmers under the IFAD-VCDP in the state inputs and needed assistance and thereafter buy off the yield from the rice farmers.

George who said the programme had given a substantial boost to rice and cassava production in the country, lauded the state and federal governments for availing the rural poor a rare opportunity to improve their livelihood.