The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has allocated $4.5 million to the FCT FADAMA CARES to improve food security and the safe functioning of the food supply chain.
Hon. Abubakar Ibrahim, Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), stated this at a sensitization workshop on FCT FADAMA CARES held on Thursday in Abuja for top policymakers in FCTA and Area Councils.
He said: “The Administration has allocated the sum of $4.5 Million to the FCT Fadama CARES Project for the implementation of three (3) Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) out of a total allocation of $15 Million from the World Bank. This underlines the significance accorded agricultural development in the Territory, and the need for us to continue to demonstrate our appreciation of this high level of confidence reposed in us, by rededicating ourselves to the diligent discharge of our assigned responsibilities.The World Bank, it is to be noted, has set a target of providing grants support to 12,283 individual farmers as well as the upgrading of 17 Wet Markets for the FCT Fadama CARES Office”.
Ibrahim who is also doubles as the Chairman, FCT Fadama CARES Technical Committee noted that ,”For us in Result Area 2, our objective is to Increase Food Security and Safe Functioning of Food Supply Chain under the FCT CARES programme. With a set of diverse but very critical programme stakeholders in this Result Area, this event becomes imperative in order to carry along these stakeholders from the onset of Programme implementation. The Programme will employ the Community Driven Development approach to deploy investments at the community level. Thus, this workshop will serve as a veritable platform to provide Top Policy Makers the opportunity to further appreciate the critical roles they are expected to play towards ensuring the successful delivery of FCT CARES Programme”.
He added that, the FCT Agriculture & Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) is always ready to provide FCT Fadama CARES with the necessary technical and financial support to ensure it succeeds in delivering this vital Project. We are confident that the FCT-CARES team has what it takes to deliver the Project as planned.
He assured you of the unflinching commitment of the FCT Administration and indeed the Hon. Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, and the Hon. Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, towards ensuring the successful implementation of the FCT CARES Programme.
Ibrahim further stated that, the event, which brings together very important stakeholders who are expected to play critical roles towards facilitating the successful implementation of the FCT CARES Programme Results Area 2, could not have come at a better time. This is due to the fact that the implementation of the FCT CARES Programme is about to fully commence after the declaration of FCT’s Eligibility as well as the granting of a one-off advance by the World Bank following a rigorous assessment process.
The FCT COVID 19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (FCT CARES) Programme is a World Bank Budget support to the Federal Capital Territory Administration for Non-Discretionary expenditure which is targeted at supporting existing and newly emerging vulnerable and poor households, Agricultural Value Chains, and Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) that have been negatively impacted by the COVID 19 Pandemic.
He said , the project is to be implemented using the World Bank Programme for Result (P for R) financing model which is a relatively new concept of Programmes/Projects financing. This model requires the FCT Administration to invest its own resources first by funding Delivery Platforms to start implementation, while the World Bank reimburses the FCTA after verification of achieved results by Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) in line with agreed prices and targets earlier set for all Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).
He also opportunity to formally inaugurate the FCT Fadama CARES Technical Committee whose members are seated among you here today. This Committee is charged with the responsibility of providing strategic policy orientation and guidance to the FCT Fadama CARES Office in the implementation of the FCT CARES Programme under Result Area 2. I wish to congratulate members of this Committee and call on them to bring their respective knowledge and experiences to bear towards supporting the successful implementation of Result Area 2 in the FCT.
Meanwhile, the FCT FADAMA CARES Coordinator, Usman Adangara said the project is targeted at supporting existing and newly emerging vulnerable and poor households on Agricultural Value Chains, most especially those that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that, the workshop will provide participants with relevant information about the programme concept, deliverables and implementation strategy.
He therefore, solicited their for support, advice and mentoring to further strengthen the team, thereby supporting the successful delivery of FCT CARES Result Area 2 and the FCT CARES Programme in general.
