The Department for International Development (DFID), a United Kingdom government department, has disclosed that it would engage no fewer 20, 000 farmers in Cross River State in agriculture by 2018.
The Team Leader of DFID, Dr. Jerry Lacey, who stated this during an interview with journalists in Calabar, said Cross River State already has 33 per cent of DFID’s interest in the Niger Delta region.
The area of focus according to Lacey would be financial intervention to farmers for the expansion of agriculture with emphasis on oil palm production and possibly the new direction of the state government which is rice and banana production.
Lacey further said that Cross River State is one of the front runners in the new Nigeria because of her commitment to the core values of good governance and human integrity.
He said, “If Cross River State must be active player in the palm oil business, the state must restructure in line with what Indonesia has done with regards to palm oil export. We will accord the state the same assistance we gave to Indonesia.
“Over 9000 people whom we are working with now are already in Cross River and about 10, 000 to 20, 000 would be Cross River State-based between now and 2018.”
Lacey disclosed that the key focus of DFID in the Niger-Delta region was to develop agriculture, adding that the department’s major program in the region at the moment has about 25, 000 beneficiaries.
“At the present time, the main programme actually has had about 25, 000 beneficiaries in the Niger Delta area and Cross River State is the largest single contribution as it accounts for 33 percent of the development we have to make in the region,” he stressed.
He commended Governor Ben Ayade for the pacesetting initiative in transforming the state and assured that DFID would support his effort.
Credit: thenationonlineng
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