WB donates $50 mln to revive Boko Haram-hit farming in Nigeria

PanARMENIAN.Net - The World Bank has donated $50 million to assist the six insurgency affected North East states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe under the FADAMA programme, The Eagle Online reports.

The Task Team Leader, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, stated this while speaking to newsmen over the weekend.

Oredipe said the reason for carrying out such a project is to deal with the negative impacts of the Boko Haram insurgency, which have affected the people in those states.

According to him, the project is a combined effort of the Federal Government and the International Community to revive livelihood in the North East due to losses incurred as a result of the activities of insurgents.

He said the World Bank is targeting 600 communities and 24,000 households.

Oredipe said: “Our idea is to work with 600 communities in the six states and have agreed to do more in the directly affected States: Borno, Yobe , Adamawa and do a little in Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe, who are the receivers of the displaced people.

“For us as the World Bank, you know we are not into humanitarian programme, but we support activities based on needs.”

Oredipe added that the purpose of the project is not just to reach out to the six affected states but to bring all key stakeholders and team players to be on the same page of what the project intends to achieve and how to go about the implementation and approach exercise.

When asked why the project is being implemented under FADAMA 3, Oredipe replied that they saw it as good platform that has established link in the rural areas to run the initiative, adding: “That is why we use such platform to reach out to farmers affected by insurgency in rural communities.”