In a significant move to protect agricultural investments and ensure long-term food security, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly has pledged to enact a dedicated law aimed at sustaining the gains of the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP). This legislative action seeks to move beyond temporary project cycles and embed successful interventions into the permanent governance structure of the state.
Dr. Peter Akwe, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, made the commitment during a field visit to the Barkin Abdullahi (B.A.D) Community in Lafia North. He explained that the proposed law is designed to institutionalize the programme’s frameworks, ensuring that its models for supporting smallholder rice and cassava farmers continue to deliver benefits long after the external funding period ends. “Legislation provides the necessary legal backing to protect these investments and guarantee continuity,” Akwe stated, highlighting a common challenge in development where project gains dissipate after closure.
The visit, led by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and VCDP Steering Committee Chairman, Mr. Umar Tanko-Tunga, served as a tangible showcase of what the law aims to preserve. The team inspected critical infrastructure projects that are central to the value chain approach:
- A bridge at the Takpa Road Rice Aggregation Centre: This infrastructure reduces post-harvest losses and transportation costs, enabling farmers to get their produce to markets more efficiently and at a better price.
- A cassava processing centre: This facility adds value to raw cassava, potentially creating products like high-quality garri, starch, or flour, which increases farmer income and creates local jobs.
- A solar-powered borehole: This provides a reliable water source for both community use and agricultural processing, enhancing resilience and reducing labor.
Commissioner Tanko-Tunga emphasized that these projects, upon completion, are designed to significantly improve livelihoods. He urged community ownership to prevent vandalism—a key concern that the proposed law would also address by formalizing maintenance and protection responsibilities.
The push for sustainability was echoed across government branches. Mr. Garba Isimbabi, a House member, reiterated the legislature’s commitment. Furthermore, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr. Hauwa Jugbo, and the State Chairman of the All Farmers Association, Amb. Isaac Kigbu, linked the interventions directly to poverty reduction and increased incomes, urging farmer support for such policies.
Dr. Eunice Adgidzi, the State VCDP Coordinator, represented by Mr. Victor Alaku, framed the programme within the broader visions of both the state and federal governments to enhance food security. This alignment is crucial, as it ensures the proposed law will dovetail with existing agricultural policies.
Community testimonials underscored the programme’s immediate impact. Mrs. Paulina Edom of the Kauna Women Garri Processors and youth leader Mr. Charles Soja expressed profound appreciation, noting the intervention had “brought relief.” The Aren Koron-Kuje, Mr. Joseph Namo, while commending Governor Abdullahi Sule’s agricultural focus, appealed for a road linking Lafia to Barkin Abdullahi—a reminder that infrastructure connectivity is vital for value chains to thrive.
Deeper Context & Unique Value: The Nasarawa initiative represents a forward-thinking model in development governance. Too often, donor-funded projects end with no formal mechanism to continue their work, wasting built capacity and infrastructure. By transitioning the VCDP’s successful approaches—like aggregation centers, processing facilities, and farmer training models—into state law, Nasarawa is attempting to “lock in” development gains. This could involve legally mandating budget allocations for maintenance, creating a state agency to oversee continued value-chain development, or embedding the programme’s technical standards into the state’s agricultural extension services. This legislative strategy, if successful, could serve as a blueprint for other states seeking to make temporary development projects into permanent pillars of economic growth.
(Source: NAN News, edited by Isaac Ukpoju)
