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Enugu wants FG to rehabilitate irrigation facility

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Adani Irrigation Project facility under the FADAMA III Additional Financing Project in the state.
Enugu State goveror, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Enugu State goveror, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Adani Irrigation Project facility under the FADAMA III Additional Financing Project in the state.

Ugwuanyi made the appeal on Friday in Enugu when the 5th World Bank/FGN Joint Supervision Team under the scheme paid a courtesy call on him at the Government House.

The governor said that the rehabilitation of the irrigation facility was necessary for rice farmers to achieve all-year- round rice production in the state.

He said that the state government was working hard to ensure that more farmers were covered in the FADAMA III projects.

The governor, who expressed delight at the Federal Government’s extension of the initiative to 2019, said:

“I hope that arrangements are still intact for the rehabilitation of the Adani irrigation project in order to address the challenges of our farmers engaging in all-year-round rice production.

“We commend you for the feeder roads which you want to construct to ensure easy accessibility to the rice fields,” he said.

Ugwuanyi, however, said that the non-payment of the state’s counterpart funds for the project was regrettable, adding that it was due to paucity of funds.

“Once we source for the credit facility we are expecting, the counterpart fund will be paid.

“We are committed to this project and would work with the World Bank to ensure that the capacity and economy of our farmers are enhanced,” Ugwuanyi said.

Earlier, the leader of the team, Dr Adetunji Oredikpe, said that the state was one of the six earmarked to participate in the FADAMA III Additional Refinancing Project.

Oredikpe named the other states as Lagos, Anambra, Kano, Kogi and Niger, adding the Enugu State had demonstrated the political will and potential for rice production.

He said that under the project, $35 million would be expended in the state subject to the payment of the counterpart fund which the state government needed to leverage on.

The team leader said that the state was a huge player in rice production having moved its average yield to 3.5 metric tonnes per hectare, adding that there was still hope for advancement.

He said that the Federal Government was pushing a two-point agenda in the rice value chain which were import substitution and employment creation for the youths.

Oredikpe said that under the scheme, the government sought to place a ban on the importation of rice, sorghum, tomatoes and cassava.

“We have awarded a contract of 58.9km feeder roads as well as supported 1,709 farmers in the state.

“There is also hope for increasing it because we are looking at supporting 5,000 farmers across the state.

“What is standing against this is the counterpart fund.

Now that other states are joining, if you are fast, you will be able to support farmers in your state,” Oredikpe said.

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