The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has concluded stakeholders’ consultation for inputs on the second National Nigeria-IFAD Country Strategic Opportunities Programme that will run for six years (COSOP 2024-2029).
COSOP is a framework for making strategic choices about IFAD operations in a country, identifying opportunities for IFAD financing, and facilitating management for results.
The consultations for the programme were held in seven states, during which farmers, private sectors, government agencies, and development partners discussed priorities for the Six-year policy that IFAD is expected to present to the IFAD Board by December 2023 for approval.
The New COSOP is proposed to run from 2024-2029 and is expected to drive the country’s agricultural sector, comprising Nigeria Food System Transformation Pathways, National Agricultural Technology, and Innovation Policy, and the National Extension Policy.
The ongoing 2016-2023 COSOP Programmes that will end in December this year, catered for 5.1 million beneficiaries that comprise 55 per cent women and 59 per cent youth across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria
The programme which is the first edition also supported the formation of Farmers’ Organizations; Marketing groups Community Development Associations (CDAs), Financial Savings Associations (FSAs), Commodity Alliance Forums (CAFs), and Agricultural Market Information Systems (AMIS).
The Country Director of IFAD Dede Ekoue said the organisation and the Federal Government of Nigeria are cooperation to strengthen the smallholder farmers to produce food sustainably.
She said the partnership has led to improved rice and cassava yields with lesser inputs. According to her, it translates to more food, less cost, income for farmers, and job opportunities for the youth.
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“All these elements put together are conducive for the economic growth of the country, and this is what we want to bring to scale in the new corporation’s strategy that we are developing under the leadership of the government, and in close coordination with the smallholder farmers.
“We had consultations in seven states during which, farmers, private sectors, government agencies, and development partners gave opinions in addition to specific recommendations for IFAD Nigeria”.
“We are here for the wrap of the consultation, this is an opportunity for us to discuss how to prioritize, there are many recommendations that we will be picking together the areas we know that IFAD and its partners have comparative advantage and strength”, she added.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe said the Ministry participated actively and concerns were raised for inclusion into the COSOP 2024-2029 period to assist smallholder farmers in feeding the teaming population as it is a known fact that 70 percent of the farmers in the country are rural people with low-income and subsistence.
Achii Patricia, a beneficiary farmer from Benue State who has worked with other rural farmers with IFAD for five years, said they had benefited from the programmes.
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