The World Bank has rated the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Nigeria’s Commercial Agriculture Development Projects (CADP) as highly satisfactory, according to a World Bank st atement obtained by PANA here Saturday.
Both the Government and the beneficiaries took the lead in the design and prepar ation of the project, whose implementation commenced in June 2009.
This is the first project in Nigeria where there was provision of counterpart fu nd for project preparation by the Government.
“I am satisfied with the progress made by the states in terms of their plan of action to ensure effective implementation that will deliver results to the beneficiaries. On the Bank’s side, we will ensure that technical assistanc e and financial resources get to the beneficiaries on time since agriculture is time bound,.” the statement quoted Lucas kolawole Akapa, Task Team Leader o f the Commercial Agriculture Development Project.
He told the participating states, during a 5-day technical review and advocacy m ission in Lagos, to justify and sustain the high rating given to the project by ensuring quality supervision and implementation of the project.
The project, which is being implemented in Kaduna, Kano in the north and Lagos and Cross River in the south will support three value chains per state as follows: Cross river, oil palm, cocoa and rice; Enugu is fruit trees, poultry and maize; Kaduna, fruit trees, dairy and maize; Kano, rice, dairy and maize and Lagos, poultry, aquaculture and rice.
Farmers interested in commercial agriculture in the participating states are to benefit from the project by joining their Commercial Agriculture Development Associations (CADAs) and Commodity Interest Groups (CIGs).
The World Bank, the National Project Coordinating Office and the State Commercia l Agriculture Development Officers have agreed to ensure success of the project by stepping up project implementation as well as ensuring prompt disbursement to project beneficiaries.
The project, which is aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agriculture from low lev el productivity to high level model of commercial agriculture, has two component s: Agricultural Production and Commercialization, and Rural Infrastructure.
The project will have direct impact on 50,000 small and medium commercial farms, while many households will benefit indirectly through access to farm roads, energy and market through spillover effects.
The technical mission was hosted by Lagos State Government with the National Pro ject Coordinating Office, participating states, Representative of the of the Federal Ministry of Finance,World Bank staff, Commercial Agriculture Development Associations and Commodity Interest Group officials in attendance.
