$9m FADAMA III fund for agriculture restoration in North East

60,480 direct beneficiaries of the food and livelihoods scheme of FADAMA III Additional Financing (AFII) Programme will receive $9m earmarked to restore agric operations in the North Eastern part of the country.

The World Bank and the Federal Government had given the programme permission to disburse the fund to 189 Community Action Plans (CAPs) across the six states in the North East.

Ibrahim Alkali, North East Desk Officer of FADAMA III (AFII) programme on Thursday in Abuja said Borno had 40 CAPs; Yobe, 50; Adamawa, 29; Bauchi State, 25, Gombe State, 22 and Taraba, 23; adding that the target was 7,560 households and 60,480 direct beneficiaries, according to reports by a news agency monitored by businessamlive.

Alkali said that the project, known as the North East Food Security and Livelihood Emergency Support Project, which started its first funds disbursement in October 2016, had really achieved its objectives.

The project, according to him, was expected to close its disbursement in the first quarter of this year but due to the fluctuation in foreign exchange rates, extra funds which amounted to about $9 million were made available.

The desk officer said that the fund would go a long way to help those people who hitherto had not benefited from the project.

“The project has restored the beneficiaries’ joy after their harrowing experiences during the Boko Haram insurgency because they were once hopeless. They were overwhelmed with joy because of the abundant supply of food items, livestock and agricultural inputs by the project. We also involve more women and youths in the project. We re-orientated the youths, even the young ladies because they also passed through some trauma and they are happy now,” he said.