World Bank approves $6.8m for FADAMA III project

THE World Bank has approved $6.8 million to FADAMA III for improved food production, for export and local consumption as part of its efforts to end hunger in the country.The acting National Project Co-ordinator, FADAMA III project, Tayo Adewunmi said over the weekend in Abuja, during the technical meeting on sustainable land management and FADAMA III implementation issues, that the World Bank has already released $600,000 as initial capital for the project.He said that the bank was serious with the FADAMA project just as it was interested in ensuring adequate food production in the country.Adewunmi disclosed that the grant was expected to be utilised as between now and end of 2013 when the World Bank team is expected to inspect and monitor the project for proper implementation.In his words, 'as at early September, this year, out of the $6.5 million promised FADAMA III for food security project, $600,000 has been approved and disbursed to us. In order to make judicious use of the fund, we have opened Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Desk, headed by Mohammad Saadu, who will ensure the judicious distribution of fund according to various land management in the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).'Speaking on how to effectively disburse the fund already released for the project, the acting national co-ordinator said proposals had been sent from the various states and that the fund would be disbursed according to their needs.'Virtually all the 36 states in the federation has sent their proposal and we are already working on them. We will not just dole out money to them but we are investigating their claims so that we don't give what any of them don't deserve. The Sustainable Land Management Desk is monitoring the project data management and flow to ensure that things are done accordingly.
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