FCTA Trains Fadama Farmers

By: Zakari Aliyu

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has organized a pre-disbursement capacity building for 6,020 beneficiaries of FCT Fadama CARES Programme grants.

The training is aimed at equipping the beneficiaries with the necessary skills and knowledge to maximize the impact of the grants.

Accordingly, this is ahead of the fourth batch of grants disbursement by the FCT Fadama CARES Programme.

Declaring open the training, the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Lawan Kolo Geidam, outlined the objective of the training, which he explained was to build the capacity of beneficiaries in key areas, such as Group Dynamics, Book & Records Keeping, Environmental Management, Procurement and Project Monitoring & Evaluation.

According to him, it is to ensure effective utilisation of the grants towards enhancing the livelihoods of beneficiaries and supporting agricultural growth.

Geidam disclosed that the FCT Fadama CARES Programme has made significant strides since its inception in 2022, with 7,383 beneficiaries from 109 Farmers Community Associations in the FCT receiving grants.

The Mandate Secretary revealed that an additional 6,020 beneficiaries are set to receive grants before the World Bank’s October 2024 verification, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 13,403.

His words: “With an additional 6,020 beneficiaries slated to receive grants before the World Bank’s verification slated for October 2024, the programme will reach a total of 13,403 beneficiaries, marking a significant milestone towards achieving its overall target in the FCT”

The Mandate Secretary, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, ARDS, reiterated that the training is expected to equip the beneficiaries with the necessary skills to effectively manage the items to be disbursed to them, particularly since they have been organized into groups and have to work together.

Earlier, the FCT Fadama CARES Project Coordinator, Mr. Usman Adangara, highlighted the programme’s achievements over the past two years, including the successful support to the vulnerable and poor households in Agricultural Value Chains, particularly those severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adangara lauded the FCT Administration for its decision to key into the World Bank initiative and for its commitment and support which has been instrumental in achieving the desired outcomes in the FCT.