FCTA disburses food production items to 9,170 farmers

In its bid to facilitate food production and sufficiency, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said that within a year, it has given 9,170 farmers food production-boosting items, including 12,436 bags of NPK, 6,218 bags of Urea, 18,654 litres of agrochemicals, 43,526 kg of assorted seeds, 55,400 day-old chicks, 7,756 bags of poultry feeds, 81,800 juveniles (catfish), and 2,045 bags of fish feed.

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, made this declaration at the flag-off ceremony for the disbursement of project grants to the fourth batch of FCT Fadama CARES beneficiaries. She also revealed that 3,150 people benefited under the third batch, while an additional 6,020 new beneficiaries will be provided grants under the fourth batch.

Specifically, she said this would amount to a total of 9,170 beneficiaries during the first year of this administration, stressing that the figure indicates an achievement of 216% when compared to the disbursement figure of 4,233 recorded by the programme in about two years prior to the coming of this administration.

She said, “This is in addition to the provision of water and sanitation facilities in 10 wet markets located across the six area councils of the FCT.”

Speaking on the objective of the programme, Mahmoud said that the FCT Fadama CARES Programme was designed to increase food security and ensure the safe functioning of the food supply chain in the FCT.

Her words: “The programme is deliberately designed to support the recovery of livelihood activities of poor and vulnerable persons engaged in agricultural value chains, with special consideration for women and unemployed youth.

“Its implementation will be anchored on the World Bank community-driven development approach for the deployment of programme investments at the community level.”

She further noted that the programme is another significant indicator of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unflinching commitment towards ensuring sustainable food production through his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“It is in line with Mr. President’s strategic vision that the FCT Administration, under the leadership of the Hon. Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, is committing significant resources towards ensuring sustainable agricultural production as a panacea for poverty reduction and improvement of livelihoods for poor and vulnerable agricultural households in the FCT through the FCT Fadama CARES programme.

“This indeed is a clear indication of our administration’s commitment towards ensuring sustainable agricultural production for the attainment of food and nutritional security, poverty reduction, and improved livelihoods,” she added.

Mahmoud also emphasised that as part of the youth empowerment component of the Fadama CARES programme, the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is leveraging the programme to provide starter packs to 94 trainees of the FCT-Leventis Foundation School of Agriculture, Yaba, for the years 2022 and 2023 to enable them to put into practice what they studied in school.