FCTA Disburses Grants to 9,170 Fadama Beneficiaries

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has disbursed grants to a total of 9,170 beneficiaries under the Fadama Cares Programmme within the first year of the current administration.
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, made this declaration yesterday at the flag-off ceremony for the disbursement of project grants to fourth batch of FCT Fadama CARES beneficiaries in Gwagwalada.

She added that 3,150 benefited under the third batch while an additional 6,020 new beneficiaries would be provided grants under the fourth batch.
According to the minister, the figure indicated an achievement of 216 per cent when compared to the disbursement figure of 4,233 recorded by the programme in about two years prior to the coming of this administration.

The FCT Fadama CARES Programme is designed to increase food security and safe functioning of food supply chain in the FCT and support the recovery of livelihood activities of vulnerable persons engaged in agricultural value chains with special consideration to women and unemployed youth.
“Its implementation will be anchored on the World Bank community driven development approach for deployment of programme investments at the community level,” Mahmoud said.

She also stressed that as part of the youth empowerment component of the Fadama CARES programme, the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat was leveraging the programme to provide starter packs to 94 trainees of FCT-Leventis Foundation School of Agriculture, Yaba, for years 2022 and 2023 to enable them put into practice what they studied in school.

On his part, the Mandate Secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Hon. Lawan Kolo Geidam, said under the fourth batch of disbursement of grants to FCT Fadama CARES, 82 farmers community associations across the six area councils had been selected to benefit.
He affirmed that within the period of one year, 12,436 bags of NPK, 6218 bags of Urea, 18,654 litres of agro chemicals, 43,526 kg of assorted seeds, 55,400-day old chicks and 7,756 bags of poultry feeds and 81,800 Juveniles (cat fish) and 2,045 bags of fish feed had been disbursed under Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 2.1.

The highpoint of the event was the distribution of items which include fertilizers, seeds and agrochemicals, sprayers and personal protective equipment for crop farmers.

Day-old chicks and feeds were also distributed to poultry farmers, juveniles and feeds for fish farmers, goats for livestock farmers and grinding machines for women processors.