The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, in its second phase of FCT Fadama Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, disbursed grants to 517 vulnerable people in the area.
The symbolic payout took place in the Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, and was carried out by Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, Minister of State for the FCT.
Aliyu emphasized that the incident was yet another important proof of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s unwavering desire to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
According to Aliyu, the program also represented the Federal Government’s dedication to enhancing livelihoods, particularly for the nation’s poor and vulnerable households.
She stated that the FCT Administration is determined to elevate ample human and financial resources towards the reduction of poverty and improvement of livelihoods for the poor and vulnerable agricultural households in the FCT.
Saying: “The specific objective of the FCT FADAMA CARES programme is to increase food security and safe functioning of food supply chain in the FCT.
“The programme is deliberately designed to support the recovery of livelihood activities of the poor and vulnerable persons engaged in agricultural value chains with special consideration to women and unemployed youth.
“Its implementation will be anchored on the World Bank community driven development approach for deployment of programme investments at the community level.”
She revealed that the FCT Administration had given the FCT FADAMA CARES program 4.5 million dollars to implement three Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) from the 15 million dollars made available to the FCTA by the World Bank for the program’s execution.
Aliyu urged everyone who received grants to use them wisely by funding their farming endeavors in order to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating effects.
“Thus improving livelihoods and contribute to the attainment of increased food security and safe functioning of food supply chain in the FCT.”
The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade, noted that the Federal Government and the FCT Administration had invested time and finance into the FADAMA CARES initiative and it had begun to yield visible benefits and results.
He claimed that the great outcome obtained by the FCT during the World Bank’s program eligibility evaluation exercise could speak to the beneficial results.
According to him, the FCT earned 88%, ranking it among the top-performing states in the nation.
Olusade urged other stakeholders, including the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, to step up their efforts to ensure the program’s successful execution in the FCT.
He claims that by doing this, the administration will be able to revitalize the homes and small businesses in the FCT that have been severely crippled by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, the secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, added that the occasion marked a critical turning point in the FCT Administration’s efforts to promote the achievement of food and nutritional security in the region.
He said: “This official disbursement of grants to second batch of beneficiaries under FCT FADAMA CARES programme further affirms the unflinching commitment of the FCT Administration towards poverty reduction.
“And improvement of livelihoods for poor and vulnerable agricultural households in the territory.”
The items distributed include fertilisers, seeds and agrochemicals, sprayers and personal protective equipment for crop farmers, day old chicks and feeds for poultry farmers.
Also, distributed are juveniles and feeds for fish farmers, goats for livestock farmers, grinding machines for women processors and motorised produce threshers for groups of unemployed youths.
