• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Stakeholders call for synergy between CBN, Agric Ministry to deepen gains of Anchor Borrower scheme

Stakeholders call for synergy between CBN, Agric Ministry to deepen gains of Anchor Borrower scheme

Agriculture stakeholders have called for synergy among Central bank of Nigeria and the ministry of agriculture to deepen the impact of the anchor borrower’s scheme.

Dandutse Muntari, Chairman, house committee on agricultural production and service, House of representative, speaking at the stakeholder interactive meeting on project monitoring and evaluation, on Tuesday said that project monitoring and evaluation is critical to ensuring effective service delivery to the public.

We have discovered that the anchor borrowers program is not supported and monitored by the ministry, so there are lapses. I think there is need for CBN to collaborate with the ministry to ensure sustainability and deepen the impact of the program”.

The chairman stressed that while the CBN is giving out loan, the ministry and other related agencies should ensure monitoring and evaluation of loans to ensure that the loans are given to people who are really into agricultural production.

“The ministry is a supervisory ministry and should be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation of all projects as it relate to agriculture to ensure that they meet expectations. When the budget comes the ministry calls on all agencies to defend its budget but when it comes to monitoring they are left alone, for me I think it is wrong there should be supervisory aspect for the ministry to see that they deliver according to the what is expected of them”.

He said “The ministry should collaborate with the state directors to ensure that the money allocated are  judiciously invested, most of the farmers that were given the anchor borrowers fund are fake farmers, so that makes it even more difficult to get back the funds”.

Mohammed Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in his remark said that the meeting was aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the priority projects and deliverables as set by the present Administration for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which is saddled with the mandate of implementing Government policy on agriculture and providing enabling environment for the attainment of food security.

“Interactive meeting is therefore apt as it provides opportunity to take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the 2019 priority projects of the Ministry in line with current Government emphasis on implementation reports to enable us strategize as we commence the implementation of the 2020 capital projects following the signing of the Budget”.

The minister speaking further noted the need for an integrated approach to project monitoring and evaluation as monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs has been a challenge that must be surmounted if the country must attain its food security agenda as well as the mandate assigned to the Ministry.

“There is need for an integrated approach to project monitoring and evaluation,  collaboration is also necessary among projects and programs Departments, Zonal and State offices as well as the Department (Policy and Planning Coordination) saddled with projects monitoring and evaluation in the Ministry among others”.

“We are confident that as we continue to vigorously and conscientiously purse our mandate as a Ministry, better strides will be recorded in the months ahead. I therefore charge you all to strive and work as a team to provide the enabling environment for the realization of our mandate to consolidate the gains recorded by the current administration in the agriculture sector”.

Abdulkadir Mu’azy, Permanent Secretary of the ministry said that the meeting will provide opportunity for reflection on the present state of projects monitoring and evaluation in the ministry especially the delivery of 2019 capital projects and lay foundation for improved projects monitoring and evaluation in the current financial year.

“In order to consolidate the achievements in the current financial year and in line with the ERGP, we have directed all departments and units of the ministry to align their activities to the agriculture-specific 2019-2023 priority projects, program and deliverable handed down as key mandate by the government”.