The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its plan to create a law that will help sustain the gains of the Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for smallholder farmers in the state.
Peter Akwe, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, gave the assurance on Thursday during a field visit by a VCDP team to the Barkin Abdullahi community in Lafia North administrative area.
The visit was led by Umar Tanko-Tunga, the commissioner for agriculture and chairman of the VCDP Steering Committee. Akwe said the proposed legislation would institutionalise the programme’s interventions and ensure continuity and sustainability beyond its lifespan.
He praised the VCDP for its impact on rice and cassava value chains in Nasarawa, adding that the House would “provide the necessary legal backing to protect the investments.”
Residents of Barkin Abdullahi came out in large numbers to welcome the team, which inspected ongoing projects including a bridge at the Takpa Road Rice Aggregation Centre, a cassava processing centre, and a solar-powered borehole in the community.
Speaking at the project sites, Tanko-Tunga said the visit was meant to assess the level of work done and expressed confidence that the completed projects would improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. He added that Governor Abdullahi Sule would continue to prioritise agriculture as “a key driver of economic development,” urging residents to take ownership of the projects and protect them from vandalism.
Also speaking, a member of the House representing Toto-Gadabuke constituency, Garba Isimbabi, restated the legislature’s commitment to passing a law that would secure the continuity of the programme.
The commissioner for women affairs and humanitarian services, Hauwa Jugbo, the administrator of Lafia North administrative area council, and the chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Isaac Kigbu, said the interventions would help reduce poverty and raise farmers’ incomes. They urged beneficiaries to support government policies that promote agricultural productivity.
Eunice Adgidzi, the VCDP coordinator, said the visit reflected the programme’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of rice and cassava farmers. She explained that the projects align with both the Nasarawa and federal governments’ goals to enhance food security and reduce hunger and poverty.
