World Bank Prolongs CADP Mission In Nigeria

During the World Bank’s 12^th implementation support mission and stakeholders meeting held in Calabar, the bank’s Task Team Leader (TTL) in Nigeria, Dr. El-Hadj Adama Toure, said that the bank has extended its Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) mission in Nigeria for another six months ending November 2016.

Toure said the extension  was necessary for the full implementation of commercial agriculture systems across five Nigerian states participating in CADP namely, Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Ondo. He also said that the objective of the stakeholders’ meeting, especially with the TTL, was part of its routine mission to converge after every six months in CADP host states.

During the meeting, the State Project Coordinator (SPC) to Cross River, Mr. Duckham Amah, also  stressed the need for a continuous commercial agriculture system as the leeway to salvaging Nigeria’s economy in the face of the country’s dwindling oil revenue. He also said that Cross River has been able to support farmers in all its three value chains, which include cocoa, palm oil and rice farming.

“Within its years of existence in Cross River has also been able to support farmers by constructing 55.77 kilometers of farm roads in 18 communities of 11 local government areas of the state, which has helped provide access and shortened travel times that in the past was responsible for damage of farm produce,” said Toure

Also, the Commissioner of Agriculture in Enugu, Mr. Mike Eneh, said the Enugu State has been able to key into the CADP to the extent it now exports pineapples but was, however, currently temporarily overwhelmed by local consumption needs, which the state is making reactive efforts to curb. He also said the state government has given full support for the project.