The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has sent a bill for a law, to establish the Ebonyi State Agricultural Value Chain Development Agency (EBS-AVCDA).
The National Programme Ccordinator (NPC) of IFAD—VCDP Dr Fatima Aliyu while presenting a draft proposal of the bill at the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, said the bill is hoped to sustain, expand and institutionalise the gains of the VCDP and related matters.
Aliyu represented by the IFAD–VCDP Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor (KMCA) Mrs Vera Onyeaka–Onyilo, said the programme which is in conjunction with the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), has been intervening in the Ebony state agricultural sector since 2015.
“The programme is expected to wind down in June 2027 and finally close in December 2027 which necessitated the presentation
of this draft proposal for the transformation of VCDP into a government agency.
“This is part of efforts to sustain the gains of the programme that has created significant impact on participating rural farmers, especially in the areas of rural roads.
“The programme has intervened tremendously in rural water provision, infrastructural development, production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava, capacity building of farmers, sustained input distribution, among others.”
She stressed the need to ensure that the laudable achievements already recorded by the programme do not go into extinction as the establishment of an agency would guarantee sustainability.
The State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of the FGN/IFAD–VCDP, Chief Sunday Ituma, said the programme was keen to ensure that a sustainability initiative was incorporated to preserve the programme’s achievements.
Ituma said the team interfaced with the State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to explore how the VCDP could be transformed into a legal instrument to continue improving agricultural practices in the state.
Responding, the Chairman of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Onyebuchi Ogbadu, commended the agency for the draft bill aimed at domesticating the VCDP.
Ogbadu remarked that the bill will add immense value to the economic well-being and livelihood of benefiting farmers in Ebonyi.
“Ebonyi farmers have benefited immensely from the IFAD interventions, which include the construction of rural roads, market infrastructure, solar-powered boreholes, irrigation facilities, mini-bridges and culverts, among others”
In their separate contributions the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Stephen Orji Igwe ( Edda East Constituency) the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Joseph Ununu (Abakaliki South) and the Deputy Whip, Hon. Lucas Chukwu ( Ishielu South) welcomed the IFAD–VCDP team to the assembly.
The lawmakers assured the team of their preparedness to ensure the speedy passage of the bill into law, in the interest of Ebonyi farmers.
