Nigeria, IFAD Mission Laud Kogi’s Implementation Of Agric Projects

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have applauded the performance of the Value Chain Development Programme Additional Financing (VCDP-AF) in Kogi State.

After a three-day follow-up mission across project sites in the state, they described the implementation as “excellent.”

The mission, led by officials from the Federal Department of Development Partners Projects (FDDPP) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, assessed progress made on recommendations from the 12th Supervision Mission and evaluated Kogi’s readiness ahead of the 13th Supervision Mission scheduled for September 2026.

During the exercise, the assistant director at the FDDPP, Dr Abubakar Ahmad, said the mission aimed to track the implementation of agreed actions and identify areas requiring improvement before the next supervision exercise.

According to him, the team developed a monitoring tracker to ensure monthly implementation of recommendations and also reviewed the climate adaptation sub-grant supporting farmers in Kogi and Niger States.

After inspecting rice and cassava clusters in Ajaokuta and Lokoja local government areas, Ahmad praised the Kogi VCDP team and the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for strengthening agricultural productivity through climate-smart interventions.

He highlighted the introduction of tube wells, irrigation systems, improved seed varieties, and seed multiplication enterprises as major innovations that have boosted dry-season farming and reduced losses from flooding.

“Farmers are now adopting good agricultural practices and extending the knowledge to neighboring communities beyond the project areas,” Ahmad stated.

He also commended the programme’s women empowerment initiatives through Commodity Alliance Groups and lauded efforts to convert rice husk waste into briquette charcoal, describing it as an environmentally friendly innovation that reduces deforestation and provides alternative cooking fuel.

The mission team visited the Kogi State commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Timothy Ojomah, who reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to sustaining the programme beyond its current cycle.

Ojomah said Governor Ododo’s administration will establish a dedicated desk within the ministry to ensure continuity and replicate successful agricultural models across the state.

He disclosed that Kogi State was nearing qualification for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme, supported by the North Africa Development Bank and Chinese investors.

“Our focus is sustainability. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will not allow any impactful agricultural project to die,” he said.