Agriculture and Entrepreneurial Development in Rural FCT

Communities:

The FCTA Narratives.

By
Hon. Stanley Nzekwe Ifeanyichukwu*
Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat

A Conference presentation for the integrated rural development

project 2918

Protocol

1.0. Introduction: The purpose of this presentation is to further

strengthen awareness that Agriculture and Entrepreneurial development
(Agribusiness) play important role in redressing the generation of neglect
of rural communities in FCT and 36 states of the Federation.

In the past, national development in the country was based on rural and
urban sectors. The rural sector accounts for 70 percent of the nation
population mostly engaged in agriculture and dwells in rural
communities. These rural communities are not attractive to stay due to
the deficit in infrastructural facilities such as feeder roads, water &
sanitation, energy, health centers, schools, among others.

In the light of this, my paper intends to examine the approach used by

FCT Agriculture and Rural Development in developing the rural
communities.

2.0. FCT Agriculture and Rural Development – Rural Development

Objectives

As you are probably aware, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development

Secretariat was established to function like Ministries of Agriculture and
Rural Development in the 36 states of the Federation{ Presidential order
Note*=Invited Paper Presented at the 4th Integrated Rural Development Conference 2018 at NICON
Luxury Hotel, Garki – Abuja between 27 to 28 November, 2018[Type text] Page 1
1, 2004(FCT Act Cap F6 LFN 2004};. Also, its activities will be guided by
all existing National Policies on agriculture and rural development.
Therefore, National policy on integrated rural development (2001) and
Green Alternative Agricultural Promotion Policy (2016 – 2020) are being
used in promotion of rural based interventions in the Federal Capital
Territory.

In the context of the foregoing, the rural development objectives

includes among others: To improve the quality of life and standard of
living of the majority of the people in the rural areas of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) through-

a. Greater improvement in the quality, value, and nutritional

balance of food intake,
b. Creating greater opportunities for human development and
employment; especially self-employment and invariably
enhancing rural income levels of rural people in FCT,
c. Making it possible to have a progressively wider range and variety
of goods and services to be produced and consumed by the rural
people themselves as well as for marketing,

d. Improve access by rural people and communities to information,

education, and extension services,

e. Improve access to reliable and affordable energy services,

including renewable and alternative sources of energy for
sustainable rural development,
f. Increase public and private investments in infrastructure in rural
areas, including roads, waterways and transport systems, storage
and market facilities, livestock facilities, irrigation systems,
affordable housing services, etc;
g. Enhance access of rural populations to safe drinking water and
adequate sanitation,and

Note*=Invited Paper Presented at the 4th Integrated Rural Development Conference 2018 at NICON
Luxury Hotel, Garki – Abuja between 27 to 28 November, 2018[Type text] Page 2
 h. Promote the development of rural organizations such as
community-demand driven cooperatives to enhance investment
in essential infrastructure and services,
3.0. Status Report: Milestones recorded on rural development in FCT
includes among others-
a. Reviewed the rural development sector to a Department,
b. Mobilized rural dwellers in to economically viable productive groups
through the FCTADP, FCT Fadama and Cooperative Division,
c. Provided basic rural infrastructures( micro earth dam in Kilankwa &
Pandagi; 15 Km rural feeder road ( Dabi – Kilankwa); YARCOF agro
processing Center in Yaba; National Fadama Development Program
supported small scale community own infrastructures( 33No
motorized boreholes, wash bores, Processing machines, 46No open
market stores , 11km fadama access road ; 16No VIP latrines, etc),
across the 6 Area Councils,
d. Promoted off farm income generating enterprises to women and
unemployed youths( bee keeping, rabbit farming, poultry farming,
aquaculture, etc)
e. Developed Fish farm estate at Bwari. In addition, distributed
fisheries inputs to fish farmers and fish folk cooperatives
f. In collaboration with Leventis Foundation, established Agricultural
Training Center for Youths in Yaba,
g. Reduced rural – urban migration in about 30 communities through
the Training and Empowerment of Agric Youth Entrepreneurs’ held
at Atlas Hotel Gwagwalada in March 2018. Furthermore, 121
unemployed youths were beneficiaries of Fadama III additional
financing Graduate Unemployed Youth Scheme(GUYS)
h. Increased Area Cultivated by Smallholder Farmers by 20% due to
timely distribution of highly subsidized farm inputs and
dissemination of Good Agricultural Practices. Consequently,
expecting 30% increase in food production despite the pockets of
flash floods & Fall Army Worm attack.
i. Improved household food nutrition intake by 30% farm family in
Paiko kore and Kilankwa communities, courtesy of ongoing rural

Note*=Invited Paper Presented at the 4th Integrated Rural Development Conference 2018 at NICON
Luxury Hotel, Garki – Abuja between 27 to 28 November, 2018[Type text] Page 3
 nutrition pilot program by Japan International Cooperation
Agency /FCTARDS,
j. Established specialized farmers market as follows: Fisheries Model
Market- Kado, Livestock Market – Deidei, Fruits Market – Zuba, etc
k. Reduced post harvest losses by 30% through demonstrations on false
bottom technology for paddy rice parboiling, Triple bag storage for
grains, etc
l. Equally worthy of mention are the following Secretariat/Agencies
involved in promotion of well being of rural communities. Namely :
FCT Social Development Secretariat, Satellite Town Development
Department, Abuja Enterprise Agency, FCT Community and Social
Development Project, etc and the 6 Area Councils.

4.0. Challenges
The major hindrance to rural development include the following:
a. Annual delay in FCTA budget appropriation
b. Inadequate fund for basic infrastructures
5.0. Conclusion
The enabling environment in the rural communities is critical to the
development of agriculture. Therefore, the following measures are
recommended in order to improve the living conditions in rural
communities:
 Improved funding for basic rural infrastructures,
 Institutional linkages between FCT Agriculture & Rural
Development Secretariat and other Secretariats-Departments
-Agencies/NGOs/Donors, participating in rural development
interventions in FCT, and
 Create a platform(website,wastapp, face book, etc) for
information sharing

Thanks for Listening!

Note*=Invited Paper Presented at the 4th Integrated Rural Development Conference 2018 at NICON
Luxury Hotel, Garki – Abuja between 27 to 28 November, 2018[Type text] Page 4
 Conference organized by: Rural Community Projects ltd,
Maitama Abuja Nigeria

Note*=Invited Paper Presented at the 4th Integrated Rural Development Conference 2018 at NICON
Luxury Hotel, Garki – Abuja between 27 to 28 November, 2018[Type text] Page 5