Kogi Government Distributes Farm Tools to Boost Food Security

Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State has distributed farm inputs and equipment to rural farmers under the IFAD-VCDP programme to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen food security in the state.

Marking the governor’s one year in office, the program was flagged off in Lokoja by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojomah, on behalf of the governor. 

Ojomah claimed that the distributed inputs will help farmers improve crop yields and efficiency, particularly in the cassava and rice value chains across Kogi State.

“The state government has supported over 10,000 farmers across 21 local government areas through various agricultural initiatives since the beginning of Ododo’s administration. Additionally, more than 1,200 cassava farmers have benefited from interventions such as tractorization, input supply, and extension services to improve their farming practices,” Ojomah explained. 

The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s commitment to funding the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) to ensure continuous support for smallholder farmers at the grassroots level.

He urged beneficiaries not to sell the distributed tools but to use them effectively to enhance food production and agricultural sustainability in the state.

The Managing Director of the Kogi Agricultural Development Programme, George Ogirima, commended the VCDP team for demonstrating capacity in agricultural development across the state.

Ogirima pledged continued support for the programme to ensure its long-term impact on farmers and food security in Kogi.

The State Programme Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Dr. Stella Adejoh, also praised Governor Ododo for the initiative. She explained that the programme’s success in Kogi is largely due to the governor’s consistent support and timely funding of agricultural projects.

Beneficiaries include producers, processors, and marketers involved in cassava and rice production across five pilot local government areas in Kogi.

Items distributed include power tillers, motorcycles, solar-powered sprayers, pumping machines, grinding machines, rice planters, sealing machines, and handheld reapers, among others.

Additionally, starter packs were given to youths trained by the Kogi VCDP in income-generating agricultural activities to encourage self-sufficiency.