Ododo approves N3b for 80 Kogi communities affected by climate change

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has presented the sum of N3billion to over 2,381 direct beneficiaries in over 170 groups from 80 communities impacted by climate change.

This is under the Community Revolving Fund of the Agro-climate Resilience in Semi-arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in partnership with the World Bank Group.

Performing the presentation of cheques at the Government House in Lokoja on Monday, Ododo said the Community Revolving Fund is in line with his administration’s commitment to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural practices in the State.

Ododo, who assured that the Kogi State government will continue to provide an enabling environment for the success and sustenance of the ACReSAL project, noted that the effort is in furtherance of the development agenda of the state to increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management, and to strengthen the long-term framework for integrated climate resilience landscape management and effective agricultural practices across communities in the 21 local government areas in the state.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising sustainable agriculture practices and for his unwavering commitment to enhancing families’ welfare in all parts of Nigeria.

The Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engineer Joseph Oluwasegun, said the Community Revolving Fund seeks to place Kogi state on the map of states where food security and sufficiency are guaranteed in Nigeria.

The governor urged the benefiting groups and communities to utilize the fund with diligence and to demonstrate the ability to ensure that other members of the community continue to benefit from the project.

Earlier in her address, the State Coordinator of AcreSal, Barrister Ladi Ahmed Jatto said the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) is an interest-free investment fund that began with the first phase of its disbursement in June 2024 with over 2,381 direct beneficiaries.

She emphasised that the second phase of the disbursement is a justification of the effective utilization of the first phase and the overall performance of the Kogi state government as adjudged by the World Bank Task Team.

She called on beneficiaries to make the best use of the fund, adding that the fund is a loan from the World Bank under guaranteed repayment by the state government.