Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah is advocating for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to expand its targeted approach beyond small and medium scale farmers to include support for commercial farmers.
The Governor believes that some commercial farmers, with their capacity for large-ticket transactions, are better positioned to sustain smallholder farmers than government interventions.
Governor Mbah made this appeal through the State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai who played host to the Associate Vice President of IFAD, Donal Brown, at the Government House, Enugu on Wednesday.
The IFAD boss is in Enugu State on an assessment tour of project sites in the State, funded by the programme through the Nigerian Government, aiming to enhance future supports.
The Enugu State Deputy Governor described the visit as timely, coinciding with Nigeria’s struggle against food shortages.
Expressing a desire for a stronger relationship with IFAD, the Enugu State government is emphasizing the importance of sustainable investments to independently support the agricultural sector.
The IFAD Chief, Donal Brown points out that the programme has invested nearly a billion dollars across various agricultural sectors in Nigeria and remains committed to assisting the country in overcoming its current food crisis.
Editor: Ena Agbanoma
