Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has flagged off the distribution of $250,000 World Bank loan to 10 rural farming communities under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL).
After presenting the cheques to the benefitting communities, Governor Namadi described the World Bank’s intervention as being in tandem with his government’s 12-point agenda.
He said empowering rural communities through their businesses and creating an enabling environment for the sustainable growth of those businesses was clearly captured in his administration’s 12-point agenda and the World Bank Revolving Fund intervention is absolutely designed to achieve that.
The governor said, “I am optimistic that this money if injected and properly utilised in the 10 communities would make the difference in terms of poverty eradication, job creation, sustainable food security and development.
“Therefore, I urge the beneficiaries and fund managers to be honest and fear God in collecting and repaying the loan for others to benefit.”
In his speech, the state commissioner for environment, Dr Nura Ibrahim said the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) was designed to support rural community/farmer groups to undertake investments specific to the climate-smart rain-fed crops which is critical to delivering investment at community and household level.
“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 a minimum of 10-25 beneficiaries will receive $25,000 and we are targeting 2,800 groups with the loan in the state,” Nura said.
One of the beneficiaries from Women Farmers’ Group, Hajiya Iya Wawu, expressed gratitude to the state governor, the World Bank and all the people who contributed to the actualisation of the programme.