By Stephen Adeleye.
The FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP-AF), has held its second edition of Commodity Fair, aimed at creating enabling environment for smallholder farmers to boost food security and productivity in Kogi State.
The 2024 edition of the annual commodity fair for Value Chain operators with State Government, held on Monday in Lokoja, underscores the collective commitment to enhancing food security, exhibition and knowledge sharing.
The VCDP also distributed equipment such as grinding machines to people with disabilities (PWDs) and vulnerable widows across the five benefiting local government areas in Kogi.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Timothy Ojomah, who flagged off the event, said the gesture was part of government’s efforts to empowering smallholder farmers at the grassroots.
Ojomah reassured the commitment of Gov. Ahmed Ododo’s administration to continue to assist rural farmers by supporting VCDP activities for maximum agricultural production and food security in the state.
He noted that over 10,000 farmers across the 21 local government areas of the state had received support through various initiatives under Ododo’s administration, which had started yielding results in changing the narrative of high cost of food in the state.
Ojomah pointed out that the state government’s collaboration with FGN/IFAD-VCDP-AF had enhanced food sufficiency and productivity through the provision of equipment, inputs, loans and other incentives to smallholder farmers in Kogi.
The commissioner commended the state programme coordinator, Doctor Stella Adejoh and her team for their resilience, adding that under her leadership, Kogi rural farmers had benefited a lot from VCDP.
He urged the beneficiaries of the inputs to properly utilize them in order to achieve its intended purpose of enhancing productivity and food security in the state.
He reassured the commitment of Ododo’s administration to continue to pay it counterpart funds to enable the VCDP programme received more attention for the benefit of all citizens.
Earlier, the State Program Coordinator (SPC), Dr Stella Adejoh, emphasised the significance of the commodity fair as a platform to enhance food security, knowledge sharing and cross fertilization of ideas.
According to her, this year’s theme: “Incentivizing Smallholder Farmers to Scale for the Attainment of Food Security in 2025,” reflects an urgent call to action to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.
She added that the fair also highlighted the pivotal role that smallholder farmers played in achieving sustainable food systems.
“These dedicated smallholder farmers represent the backbone of our economy who play crucial roles in ensuring that our food systems are resilient, sustainable and capable of meeting the demands of our growing population.
“The smallholder farmers contribute nearly 70 per cent of Nigeria’s Agricultural output; however, their potentials remain largely untapped,” Dr Adejoh said.
She, therefore stressed the need to focus on creating an enabling environment through policy support, access to finance, land, mechanization and the right incentives to empower smallholder farmers to scale up their operations and increase productivity.
She urged leaders in their respective fields to collaborate, innovate and invest in the future of agriculture by helping farmers’ access to markets and improve their livelihoods.
Dr Adejoh appreciated the Governor for his timely payment of counterpart funds, culminating to the level of success being witnessed in the state
She added: “Together, we can create lasting change in the lives of our smallholder farmers and achieve our vision of food security in 2025, transforming Kogi into a powerhouse of agricultural abundance”.
Also speaking, Dr. Bello Ogirima, the Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Project (ADP), commended VCDP and state government for the initiative, describing it as a historic milestone in the state’s agricultural journey.
Ogirima promised the continuous support of ADP for VCDP activities towards enhancing food security in the state and the nation at large.
Mr Moru Tijani, Chairman Kogi State IFAD-VCDP Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), presented a paper on the theme: “Incentivizing Smallholder Farmers to Scale for the Attainment of Food Security in Nigeria by 2025”.
Speaking onbehalf of the beneficiaries, Mr James Fagbemi and Sonia Ojonuguwa, commended the state government, FGN/IFAD VCDP-AF for the gesture towards the downtrodden and rural farmers in the state.
The highlights of the occasion was the presentation of grinding machines to some persons with disabilities and widows, as well as the a tour of the exhibition ground with displayed of diverse processed food products.
The participants expressed great optimism about the opportunities provided by the fair to showcase their products and also effectively position Kogi State in regional and international markets.
Other stakeholders at the events included: Commissioners, Program Coordinators from other States, NGOs, FADAMA, SON, NAFDAC and other relevant agencies.
Items distributed include drilling, welding and grinding machines; while displayed processed food products and value addition such as garri, fried chinchin, cassava flour, rice among others, were also displayed.
