55,000 Nigerians Benefit From World Bank/Federal Govt APPEALS Project

The World Bank/Federal Government Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihoods Improvement Support (APPEALS), project national coordinator says the project has lifted over 55,000 Nigerians out of poverty.

Mr Mohammed Jobdi disclosed this during the inspection of the level of implementation of the project in Enugu State yesterday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that officials of  World Bank, federal government and APPEALS were among the team that visited the state.

The team visited the Poultry Processing Centre at Amechi Awkunanaw and Rice Mill Processing Center at Nara in Enugu South and  Nkanu East council areas of Enugu State respectively.

The coordinator said the project started in 2017 Nigeria  with the five components, adding that more than 55,000 beneficiaries were supported.

“I can categorically tell you that more than 55,000 beneficiaries have u been supported,” he said.

He listed the beneficiaries to include farmers, producers, processors and marketers as well as youths and women whom they had empowered through capacity building.

The national coordinator said the World Bank/ FG support project was being implemented in six states namely; Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and Lagos.

He said the project would come to closure by September.

 Jobdi said their mission in Enugu State was to access the level of implementation in different participating states.

Jobdi who rated Enugu high on project performance said, “We have visited two centres in Amechi and Nara and what we saw is encouraging and they assured us that necessary machine will be installed in two weeks for completion.

“We have 15 number of aggregation and cottage centres with facilities that were proposed for Enugu State.

“Under the women and youth empowerment program, about 1,700 people had also been supported in each participating states in which five per cent of the physically challenged were trained because social inclusion is very important,” he said.

The World Bank Task Team leader, Dr Manieve Sene, said they were in Enugu State to get the beneficiaries’ success stories as well as their challenges and how to tackle them.

The APPEALS project coordinator in Enugu State, Mrs Ihuoma Eze, while commending World Bank and FG for extending APPEALS project to Enugu State, said the project had touched many lives.

She explained that World Bank and FG had invested N350 million on APPEALS project in Enugu State to support farmers in the value chain of poultry, rice and cashew production.

“We have 15 number aggregation and Cottage Centres in each senatorial zones of the state.

“We have in Amechi Awkunanaw, Nara, 9th Mile, Udi, Orba, Ezeagu, Adani, Ehamufu and others,” she said.

He thanked Gov. Peter Mbah for his support and pledge to sustain the project in the state.

Some of the beneficiaries while thanking World Bank/ FG for the project, promised to maintain the centres and machine to ensure food production in Enugu S tate and Nigeria in general.

Mrs Chinyere Iwundu, a member of Divine Cooperative, Amechi Awkwunaw said the project had empowered them and added value to their lives.

“The facilities provided for us will enable us to store our farm produce and sell them  later when the price is high,” she said. (NAN)