Borno Partners IFAD, World Bank on Rural Development

Alhaji Mohammed Damchida, Borno state commissioner for agriculture, has said that the state has agreed to implement the concept and programmes of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which is aimed at transforming the rural areas and enhancing the living standard of people at the grass root.
The commissioner disclosed this while receiving IFAD and World Bank officials in his office at the Musa Usman secretariat Maiduguri. He added that government has made budgetary allocation this year to take care of IFAD programmes in the state, which include food security, land degradation and eradication of poverty.
The commissioner said that, he was marveled at the level of agricultural transformation in Isreal when he visited the country sometime last year. According to him, the turn around in agricultural development was informed by IFAD contribution to the development of the sector.
He said, this development calls for government attention and inline with the Borno State government’s effort in the development of agriculture. “The present administration under the leadership of the state governor, Ali Modu Sheriff has given the sector a level playing ground to achieve its programmes,” he said.
Earlier in his remark, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani, the programme coordinator IFAD, said that all programmes embarked upon by IFAD is aimed at transforming the living standard of rural dwellers, stressing that, there is the need for the state government to compliment the efforts of IFAD and World Bank in transforming the rural areas of the state.
According to Alhaji Tijjani, development should be equally spread in all the seven states where IFAD and World Bank is operating, adding that they were in Borno State to take stock of development in all the states of their operations.
He reiterated that, partnership with Borno State, IFAD and World Bank is aimed at providing infrastructure, reduction of poverty and food security for all the states where the programmes is in operation, which include Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara and Jigawa states respectively.