TheCable

Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, says his administration will create an enabling environment for donor agencies and development partners to aid their programmes in the state.

Alia spoke on Monday when he received a delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD) – Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), in Makurdi, the state capital.

The governor said the state government would ensure the provision of counterpart funds and other necessary logistics to support the work of the development partners and donors.

He said the value chain development programme has been impactful, noting that it has empowered youth and women in the state through the provision of mechanised equipment and training.

He added that it has also “enabled them to venture into income-generating activities that have not only elevated their status but have given them a stronger voice in the decision-making process in the society”.

He pointed out that the state lacks accessible roads to the marketplaces in rural areas, adding that there is a need to address infrastructural challenges.

He said agricultural potentials would be better harnessed if challenges such as market linkages, rural road networks, and storage facilities were addressed.

He urged the organisation to remain committed to building a more prosperous and inclusive agricultural sector for the good of the people of the state.

On her part, Dede Ekou, country director of IFAD, said they were in Benue on supervision and to inform the governor of the achievement of the VCDP in the state.

She said the programme has empowered 17,000 farmers in the state.

She appreciated the state government for its commitment and support for the programme through the payment of counterpart funding and also for creating an enabling environment for the people of  Benue.

Ekou added that the programme would boost the productivity for food security and growth in the state.