Selected farmers for the pilot phase of Ogun State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, (NG-CARES) FADAMA RA2 in Ado-Odo/Ota, Odogbolu, Obafemi Owode, Odeda, Yewa-North and Ijebu North Local Government Areas (LGAs), have been trained to acquaint them on the best ways to utilise grants for maximum profits.

The OGUN-CARES FADAMA RA2, a project funded by Ogun State Government, Federal Government, and the World Bank, is meant to empower 20,922 pro-poor farmers in the 20 LGAs, with grants to enhance crop and livestock farming, agricultural value chains, as well as upgrading wet markets such as abattoirs and food processing centres, to cushion the effect of COVID-19 Pandemic.

 Speaking during the opening of the training at the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP) headquarters in Abeokuta,  the  Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Development Partners Coordination, Mr. Bayo Adenekan, said it was a pre-requisite effort towards the disbursement of grants to the beneficiaries.

Adenekan, who is also the Head, State NG-CARES Coordinating Units, stated that it was imperative to boost agriculture and ensure food security, saying  the Federal Government had secured $750 million from the World Bank, out of which $20m was earmarked for Ogun State for farmers and traders under three Delivery Platforms.

The Governor’s Aide enjoined the participants to support the project and apply the knowledge gained to improve their farming activities, to enable the State to achieve its goals.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Dotun Sorunke, represented by the Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Busi Ibrahim,  affirmed the reality of the project and advised farmers to shun any untoward rumor or deception from unscrupulous elements.

Welcoming the participants earlier, the Project Manager, OGUN-CARES FADAMA RA2, Mrs. Solape Awe, said the capacity building was imperative to make every concerned stakeholder be on the same page to know their roles in getting the best out of the project.

Awe noted that beneficiaries’ farm location would be geo-referenced for easy assessment by the Independent Verification Agent from the World Bank, urging them to judiciously utilise the grants and the palliative that would be given to them, as they stand a chance to benefit from other projects in the nearest future.

She said,’’  Farmers’ Record Books will be given to beneficiaries to enable them to keep a proper record of their farming activities to know the progress made on their farms and measure their levels of profits’’.

Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mr. Razak Adekoya from Ijebu-North Local Government, lauded Governor Dapo Abiodun’s passionate concern for farmers, expressing optimism that it will surely revive farmers’ dwindling businesses.

Highlights of the event were symbolic presentation of Input Vouchers to the Farmers’ Community Associations and farmers’ meeting with the prospective service providers.