The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFC) has praised the outstanding performance of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Taraba.
Hajiya Fatima Haruna from the ministry’s Projects Coordinating Unit, who led the monitoring team to the state, expressed pride in the VCDP team’s accomplishments. “Taraba is clearly outstanding among all the states we have visited. It was a good sight on our way from Wukari to Jalingo to see storage and processing facilities built by the project in all the places,” she said.
Haruna commended the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Mr. Irimiya Musa, and his team for their efforts to improve the livelihoods of rural dwellers in Taraba. She highlighted that Taraba has embraced social inclusion in the project’s implementation, particularly in the marketing aspect of the value chain, where people with disabilities were empowered to be self reliant.
It was reported that VCDP has been working to enhance
rice and cassava production, processing, and marketing, thereby creating job opportunities for youths, women, and people with disabilities along the value chain. The intervention spans across Jalingo, Wukari, Karim-Lamido, Ardo-Kola, Takum, Bali, Donga, and Gassol Local Government Councils of the state.
The monitoring team visited several projects, including a solar-powered borehole at the state veterinary hospital and whale house, an adult literacy school in Jalingo, and the Mayo-Gwei market, where individuals with disabilities, empowered by the project, were conducting business.
Mr. Irimiya Musa, the State Project Coordinator (SPC), thanked the team for their visit and noted that their feedback would help the state team achieve even greater successes.
