…5,000 farmers benefit from $90 million Kano agriculture project
Nizar Zayed, Head of Global Operations for Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), said the bank has invested a total of $267 million in Nigeria since 1975. .
He said Nigeria was one of the bank’s major shareholders, holding 7.33% of the total subscribed capital. Mr. Zayed spoke at the High Level Workshop on Agricultural Transformation and What Works “Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project from Crop Value Chain” which was launched in Kano, Nigeria State from Monday 7 to 8 October 2024. This is what he said in “Reflection.”
Mr. Zayed recalled that Nigeria became a member of IsDB in November 1999, informing that the IsDB Group had approved approximately $2.1 billion in loans to Nigeria.
“This includes $1.1 billion in project financing from IsDB. One of the most recent approvals was the $94 million Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project in March 2024.
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“In fact, since the Bank began operations in 1975, it has invested a total of $8.7 billion in the agricultural sector of its member countries, including $267 million in Nigeria,” he said. said.
The subject matter of the workshop was not only important for Kano State and Nigeria, but also for the African continent as a whole. It was about how we can achieve agriculture and ultimately food security.
“I must say that the current situation is very grim. Our continent spent $43 billion on food imports in 2019, and this is expected to increase to $110 billion in 2025. The continent’s agriculture remains generally inefficient, with average grain yields half the world’s, for example one-fifth of those in India and the United States.
This comes as Africa has 60 percent of the world’s available arable land and has a growing young population working there. He said to bring about change, Africa needs to adopt improved varieties of seeds and the judicious use of fertilizers.
Meanwhile, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, boasted that a total of 5,348 farmers have now achieved 100 per cent increase in yield of target crops under the Kano State Agriculture and Livestock Development Project (KSADP) crop value chain. announced that it could be done. It was implemented by the Sasakawa African Society of Nigeria in collaboration with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Livelihoods and Livelihoods Fund (LLC), Kano State Government.
Represented by Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, he said: “KSADP, valued at $90 million, aims to transform smallholder agriculture into a commercially viable business by developing commodity value chains to alleviate rural poverty, food insecurity and unemployment. Masu.
“Under this project, 3,962 jobs will be created, 1,465 contract sprayers and 1,826 farmers will be engaged in community liaison, 854 extension workers will be trained, 220 motorcycles will be and 385 tablets were distributed to extension workers specifically to assist in data collection.”
