Enugu Assembly Committee On Agric Hails VCDP Over Performance

The Chairman, Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, and member representing Igbo-Eze North 1 Constituency, Ejike Eze, has commended the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for its landmark achievements in Enugu.

Eze gave the commendation on Wednesday when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to the agency in Enugu.

The lawmaker said the visit became necessary to ascertain the impact of the programme on the lives of rural farmers and the state, especially after the last budget.

Eze emphasized that the visit was a friendly and brotherly one, noting that it is part of their legislative business to familiarize and oversight agencies and ministries under Agriculture.

“We are here to know how far IFAD has done since the presentation of the budget last year, 2023,”he said.

The committee expressed satisfaction with the performance of the state coordinator and his team but pleaded that the programme be expanded to accommodate other local government areas that were not captured.

“What IFAD VCDP is doing in the state knowing fully well that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of the State is highly passionate about agriculture in Enugu. We are ready to partner with both IFAD and any agencies on agriculture on any policy that would promote agriculture in line with His Excellency’s vision,” Eze assured.

In his presentation, the State Programme Coordinator (SPC) Dr. Edward Isiwu, listed what the programme had achieved within the short period of time.

Isiwu informed the Committee that IFAD has been in Nigeria for more than 35 years with different programmes running concurrently, adding that in 2014, the concept of Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) came onboard with six states of the Federation namely; Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba after a conclusion that the two major crops consumed in Nigeria on almost on daily basis were Rice and Cassava.

“During the review of the activities of those States, the International Fund for Agricultural Development scaled up the programme by extending the Programme for more years thereby adding the three new States; Enugu, Kogi and Nasarawa and that was how Enugu came onboard in 2019 and was expected to start implementing in 2020.

“But for COVID-19, the Programme had a delay. However, in 2021, a lot of sensitizations were done in the selected five (5) LGAs of Aninri, Enugu East, Isi Uzo, Nkanu East and Udenu and farmers were profiled into the Database,” he remarked.

Dr. Edward Isiwu, State Programme Coordinator, IFAD-VCDP, Enugu.

The Coordinator said from inception, the programme had done so many activities ranging from capacity building of the farmers on good agronomic practices, and many other trainings.

He said the programme had equally constructed mini-bridges, culverts, market stalls, market stores, land developments, solar powered boreholes, rice mills, cassava processing centres, crèche, parboiling sheds, drying slabs, effluent chambers, water harvesters and others.

Isiwu noted that the project has also supported beneficiaries with agro-inputs, farm equipment.

He told the committee that among the nine participating states of the programme, Enugu State hosted the organization’s Associate Vice President of IFAD when he visited Nigeria mid-March this year, attributing it to the landmarks impacts the programme was making in the lives of rural farmers in Enugu.

“His visit was well received by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, who represented the Governor.

He commended members of the committee for the visit, noting that it was essential for the programme implementation.

“Mr. Chairman, this programme promotes passage into law the use of Standard Weight and Measures and with your visit, I am sure that the assembly will ensure this is put into law.

“Honourable members, farmers are crying woefully after harvest. Many of them do not get value for their money because buyers priced them down. Many of the consumers equally do not get value for their money because that 25kg, 50kg bag of rice sold in the market are not actually the quantity an individual paid for,” he said.

Isiwu solicited the support of the house to address issues of farmers/herders clashes, insecurity, climate change, difficulties in assessing credits and insurance cover from financial institution by beneficiaries, and other challenges.

Members of the committee, from left: Samuel Anih; Hyginus Okoh; Pius Ezugwu; Williams Amuka; Princess Obiajulu Ugwu; Ejike Eze and Osita Eze in a group photograph with Enugu IFAD-VCDP, SPC, Dr Edward Isiwu after the oversight.