Fadama III, A Success Story – World Bank

The World Bank has  described the im-plementation of the Fadama III programme in Nigeria as a success story.

The bank’s Fadama Task Team Leader, Dr Abimbola Adubi, told newsmen that the programme had created job opportunities, boosted rural infrastructure and enhanced conflict resolution.

He said the World Bank Country Director, Mr Onno Ruhi, was delighted with the implementation of the programme in the 36 states and the FCT.”

In the area of physical achievements, implementation of various sub-projects across the 36 states and FCT includes construction of 48 numbers of 174 km rural roads and 15 feeder roads,’’ he said.

He added that 17 small bridges, 67 culverts and two dams were constructed.Two dams, he said, were rehabilitated while 129 agro processing items were purchased.

Adubi urged all stakeholders involved in Fadama III to be more committed to the full implementation of projects in order to attain the objectives of the programme.

He said that the total financial outlay for implementing the Fadama III in Nigeria was $450m.Adubi said out of the amount, the bank had so far disbursed $250m while $14.7m had been accessed by benefitting states.”

In my view, the draw down is encouraging because some states have started disbursement and the submission of the study groups indicates that the states are spending the money in the right direction,’’ he said.

Adubi said the 36 states and the FCT had met the conditions stipulated by the bank to access the money as at April 2010, adding that states had received their initial deposit of $600,00 while 30 states had paid their counterpart funds for 2009.He said N368m out of the N602m approved counterpart fund budgeted for Fadama III in 2009 had been released by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Adubi said N75m was released through the Federal Ministry of Finance in June while approval was also granted for the release of the balance of N602m by the Ministry of Agriculture.He commended some state governments for using Fadama as a means of eradicating poverty through community-driven development approach.”

By the time we complete Fadama III programme in 2015, we want to see a situation in which almost all the state governments are implementing poverty programmes through CDD approach.”

In fact, most developing partners are also embracing this concept of CDD,’’ Adubi said.