In a move to enhance judicious spending and utilisation of funds from donor organisations in the agricultural sector, the Federal Government, yesterday, set up a national steering committee to track and monitor donor-funded projects in the sector.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, while inaugurating the committee in Abuja, said over the years, projects had been executed without steering committees. This, he said, had made it difficult to effectively track performance.

He said the members are expected to consider and approve the 2022 annual work plan and budget of the three donor-assisted projects, including Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS) and Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase-One (ATASP-1)).

The minister mentioned that the robust partnership between the donor-assisted projects and the ministry has contributed to the development of agribusiness hubs, in ensuring food security, job creation, youth empowerment, rural development and economic diversification.

He said: “One can see vividly that the policy and institutional framework of all the projects are in line with the core mandates of the ministry which include food security and job creation.”

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, said the three projects were being funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

He charged the steering committee to assist in addressing the challenges affecting the projects, consider and approve the annual work plan and budget as well as support policy matters and general oversight of the projects among others.