Gov. Namadi Commences Disbursement Of $250,000 W’Bank Credit Facility To Jigawa Farmers

By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse 

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state has flagged off the distribution of  $250,000 World Bank Loan to 10 rural farming communities in the state under a project known as Argo-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL).

A breakdown of the loan facility indicates that each of the benefitting community would be entitled to $25,000, (N37million) under a funds revolving model called the Community’s Revolving Funds, (CRF).

Speaking shortly after the presentation of the cheques to some of the  beneficiaring communities, Namadi described the World Bank intervention as welcome gesture that was in alignment with his government 12- point agenda.

He explained that empowering rural community through their own businesses and creating enabling environment for the sustainable growth of those businesses was clearly encapsulated in his government’s 12-point agenda and the World Bank Revolving Fund intervention is absolutely designed for achieving so.

” I am optimistic that, this money if injected and properly utilized in the 10 beneficiary communities it will make difference,in terms of poverty eradication, job creation, sustainable food security and development”

 “Therefore I urge the beneficiaries  and funds managers to be honest and fear God  in collecting and repayment of the loan for others to benefits. The pressure on us to succeed has become more apparent when taken into account the fact that Jigawa is the first state out the eight pilot states if the federation that this project is being implemented means that other states are looking up to us to deliver and we cannot afford to let them down.

Chairman of the Steering Committee, of the project , Dr Nura Ibrahim explained that the Community Revolving Funds (CRFs) loan was designed to support rural community/farmer groups to undertake investments specific to the climate-smart rain-fed crops intervention which is critical to deliver investment at community and household level”

Dr. Ibrahim, who is the Commissioner for Environment emphasized that, “CRF is not a grant but rather an investment fund for the village that can revolve and grow over time as an innovative approach to project sustainability under ACReSAL project geared to  increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria .

“Each eligible farmers group with  minimum of 10-25  beneficiary 
will receive $25,000 and we are targeting 2,800 group with the loan in the state.” Hon Nura stated.

In her speech one of the beneficiary from women farmers group Hajiya Iya Wawu expressed their gratitude to the state governor, World Bank and all the people who contributed for the actualization of the programme and promised to sustained the programme.