By Chibuzor Emejor Correspondent, Abuja
African Development Bank (AfDB) has offered $174.85million to support the financing and implementation of Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase -1 [ATASP-1].
The Country Director of AfDB, Ousmane Dore, who announced this at the weekend in Abuja during the launch of ATASP-1, explained that the financial support would cover the costs of infrastructure and value chain development and programme management for four Staple Crop Processing Zones to be located in Adani-Omor, Bidda-Badeggi, Kano-Jigawa and Kebbi-Sokoto.
Dore represented by a Senior Management Staff of the Bank, Ando Mensah, said the programme would also be implemented in Enugu, Anambra, Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa States.
He said the programme would provide an additional 20,000 metric tonnes of key commodity crops per year and create 200,000 new jobs for the youth in the country.
source:https://agriculture.einnews.com/article/253805885/Vf5YthrNx1QRh-Qf
He also explained that the ATASP-1 fits in with the two strategic pillars of the Bank’s Country Strategy Paper for Nigeria (CSP 2013—2017) which include; the support for the development of a sound policy environment and investment in critical infrastructure to promote the development of the real sector of the economy.
According to him, “The purpose of ATASP-1 is to contribute to food and nutrition security, employment generation and wealth creation along rice, cassava and sorghum value chains.
“Key outcomes of the programme include; additional income to an increased number of producers and entrepreneurs in the sector through the creation of approximately 120,000 jobs along the value chains of priority commodities.
source:https://agriculture.einnews.com/article/253805885/Vf5YthrNx1QRh-Qf