Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has commissioned six projects in the state.
The projects funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD) under tripartite FGN/NDDC/IFAD assisted Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises -Niger Delta ( LIFE-ND) Project, were constructed at Mahintedo, Ilaje Local Government Area and Igedegede in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo state.
At the garri processing mill in Mahintedo, Dr. Olayide Adelami, who represented the Governor, said, “This is a project that will impact on the lives of the rural communities.
This project is a cassava processing plant and it’s sited in the Mahintedo community. “This community is an agrarian community and mainly they grow cassava. This project is to process cassava and it will encourage farmers to grow more because it will reduce the efforts of carrying raw and processed cassava to the market.
“When I went through the processing plant, one remarkable thing I noticed is that all the processing machines were locally produced in Nigeria, which means it will be easy to ensure that it goes through all the rural communities.
“Right now, IFAD has identified 10 local governments where similar projects are taking place. I know that because it requires less funds, we will be able to go around many local governments across the country because it’s a World Bank-assisted project and it will impact on the lives of the people in the community.”
The IFAD National Project Coordinator, Dr. Abiodun Sanni disclosed that there are other nine of such project ongoing in the state.
He explained that “We are looking for agrarian communities, which Mahintedo is one of them. We have already done our own scoping and discovered that there is so much potential within this community, within the agricultural space.
“There are a lot of youths here who are enthusiastic to go into agriculture. After our surveillance and scoping, we find this community worthy. It is quite a peaceful community, so they met all the criteria that is required.
“We had no other choice than to invest in this particular community as a project.”
Prince Olawale Ademola, the State Project Coordinator, disclosed that the Mills are just part of many projects being implemented in the state under the programme.
He said: “We have our signature in 10 local government areas of Ondo State, with 10 communities per local government. So, we are in 100 communities in Ondo State. So, we have similar projects all over the communities where we are. “In Mahintedo and Igedegede, environment, what they are known for is cassava production and cassava farming.
“From production to processing, to marketing, and there are so many derivatives of cassava. “For example, pupuru, garri, and many others. So, now, from the request, the way we carry out a rural appraisal, what we observed was that they need this thing here. None is existing in this environments. So, the project decided it was okay, since the community, the youth, the women demanded for it.
“So, the Mills were provided for this community by IFAD in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ondo State government.” The state Project coordinator revealed that measures have been put in place to maintain the machineries in the Mills.
He said: “Part of what we do to ensure sustainability in the project, we have an operation and maintenance committee. “What we have here was requested for by the communities. So, it’s not a kind of, maybe, someone just come from Abuja or Port Harcourt or Lagos and implemented what we have.
“So, it was established for them and we have so many communities here. We also have Community Apex Development Association(CADA). They have to oversee what’s happening here. This projects are owned by the community, but given to them by the IFAD, Federal Government and Ondo State government.
“In the Cassava Processing Mills, we have a peeler, we have grater, we have a dryer, we have a washing bay. “Then, another beautiful thing here is this. We are transforming our waste to wealth. So, the starch will be collected, then the peelings too.”
A member of the state House of Assembly representing Ilaje Constituency II, Princess Olawumi Fayemi-Obayelu also spoke at the event At Igedegede, a total number of five projects constructed by the FGN/NDDC/LIFE-ND were commissioned on Saturday.
“These include a Cassava Processing mill, lock-up shops, an Aggregation Centre, motorised borehole and waste to wealth building.”
Governor Ayedatiwa, who was represented by the state Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mrs. Folukemi Tunde-Daramola said the Mills would create a lot of job opportunities for the people in the communities.
“When it comes to these iFAD life-ending projects, you can see the excitement all over because it creates jobs for the youths and other categories of people in the beneficiary communities. It’s going to take a lot of people off the street “Having gone through this facilities, the equipment are locally fabricated, so if there’s any need for repairs and maintenance, it’s will be very easy.
“Our people can even get engaged and be able to do this within this locality. Besides, various daily chains have opened up for our people, they won’t have to take the raw cassava outside of this community, to process it thereby reducing the quality of the garri or whatever that is going to come out of it. “So, our people will just harvest from their farms, bring it here immediately and you can get good quality or value chain food without any pain.
“We also believe that everybody will see it as their own thing. And they will take ownership, so that when next we come, we’ll be happy.” The governor also commissioned solar-powered borehole, aggregation centre, waste to wealth building, open market store and open/lock-up shops provided by the FGN/NDDC/Life-nd Ondo Project Office. She said: “These projects will enhance the productivity of the farmers in the community, and the entire local government. The foods that would be produced here are made in Nigeria. So, this is a way to also encourage us to patronise made in Nigeria products. We should eat and export locally produced foods.
The IFAD National Project Coordinator, Dr. Abiodun Sanni expressed delight that Akoko zone was making appreciable progress at this time. ” It is gratifying to see Akoko having projects of these magnitude provided here. Ifad/Life-nd is happy with the way and manner the people here have embraced its initiative.”
The State Project Coordinator, Mr Ademola Olawale described the people of Igedegede as being exemplary in terms of cooperation to move their locality forward. ” ifad/Life-nd has enjoyed unprecedented cooperation from the people here.
They gave us 100 hectares of land for their youths engaged by Ifad/Life-nd called incubattees to farm. Their traditional rulers remind me always to put their community at heart. You can see and feel the palpable excitement in the reception they accorded us on arrival.”
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Finance, NDDC and Akala of Ikaram also expressed hope that the facilities would be employed judiciously and maintained. IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries through provision of financing for agricultural development projects and programmes, with focus on smallholder farmers, rural communities, and vulnerable populations.
