Governor Uba Sani has presented cheques worth $25,000 to 10 communities each, amounting to over N375 million, as a Community Revolving Fund to farmer groups.
The fund was provided by the World Bank-assisted Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, Project to enable beneficiaries invest in climate-smart rain-fed agriculture.
The benefitting communities include Anchau, Kuzuntu, Kubau, Zuntu, and Jenau, as well as Likoro, Jaja, Hunkuyi, Kudan, and Danmahawayi communities.
Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony on Saturday, the governor noted that the community revolving fund aligns with his administration’s “commitment to rural transformation, which is designed to support registered farmer groups under the umbrella of Community Interest Groups [CIGs] with loans.’’
Mr Sani promised to start the disbursement of his administration’s loans with Kudan and Kubau local government areas in phase 1 of the initiative, with a total of 82 CIGs.
He pledged that Phase 2 will commence in the second quarter of the year, with four local government areas in the Central and Southern Senatorial Zones as well as two Area Councils in the Northern Senatorial Zone.
According to the governor, the concluding phase of implementation will cater for the remaining 11 local government areas.
Mr Sani maintained that, “Kaduna State is proud to be at the forefront of initiatives aimed at combating climate change and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for our people.’
“Over the years, we have implemented a range of strategic policies and programs designed to enhance ecological conservation, mitigate the impact of climate change, and promote economic resilience among our citizens.
“With the support of ACReSAL, the state government unveiled a 10-year climate change policy, trained 500 women, youth, and school-feeding vendors in the production of biomass briquettes as an alternative to wood fuel,’’ he added.
The governor recalled that his administration had identified 22,435 hectares of degraded land for land restoration and provided a state-of-the-art weather station.
Mr Sani also procured the amphibious excavator, otherwise known as Swamp Buggy, for the prevention and control of erosion, deepening of waterways, maintenance and cleaning of rivers.
Earlier, the Task Team Lead of the ACReSAL project, Joy Iganya Agene, commended the state government for its commitment to environmental sustainability, which is evident in the state being one of the best performing sub-nationals in the country.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas-Lawal, warned that the community revolving fund is a loan and not a grant, adding that it would function as an investment fund for community and farmer groups.
“The loan is intended for communities, facilitating circulation among farmers and sustained through groups that ensure the loan remains active within your community via timely repayment, thereby enabling other farmers to reap the benefits,’’ he added.
“The ACReSAL project constitutes a significant component of the federal government’s aim to rehabilitate one million hectares of degraded land, contributing to the overarching goal of restoring four million hectares by the year 2030.
“The initiative will additionally contribute to diminishing the susceptibility of countless individuals living in extreme poverty in northern Nigeria, thereby enhancing their capacity to engage in the stewardship of their surroundings,’’ he added.
