Fertilizer distribution to be community Based: Kwara Gov’s aide Olohungbebe

Kwara State Government will soon begin statewide distribution of assorted fertilisers to deserving farmers through different community organisations, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Development Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe said.

He said the community-based approach is as advocated by participants at the recently concluded Kwara Communtiy-Based Organisations (CBOs) Summit, which was held across the three senatorial districts.

“Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has, again, demonstrated his commitment to genuine citizen engagement and participation in decision-making process by approving that the assorted brands of the fertilizers donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security be distributed using community-led approach,” he said.

“The governor should also be applauded for showing a keen interest in reviewing feedbacks as contained in the summit report, and for his approval of the implementation of some of the recommendations made by the participants on strategies for improving service delivery and good.”

To achieve effective distribution at the grassroots, a committee has been constituted in each of the local governments, comprising all the Directors of Personel Management (DPMs), Community Development Officers (CDOs), representatives of community leaders, CBOs, Community Development Councils (CDCs), civil societies, People Living With Disabilities (PLWD), Jamaatul Nasiru Islam (JNI), Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), among other stakeholders in the state, he said.

The report of the summit quoted participants as calling for a reintroduction of the agricultural development programme (ADP) and for employment of more farm extension workers to work with the CBOs for better impacts.

It also urged the government to adopt a community approach in future distribution of farm inputs, especially fertilisers, to deepen penetration to the grassroots.