The Ebonyi State Government has paid a total of N300 million as its counterpart fund for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) since assuming office in 2023.
State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Nkechinyere Iyioku, announced this during a pre-mission stakeholders' meeting in Abakaliki, held as part of an evaluation mission by IFAD’s Independent Evaluation Office. She said N100 million was released in 2023, and N200 million in 2024, with the 2025 fund to be released soon.
Commending IFAD-VCDP’s impact on agriculture in Ebonyi, Iyioku expressed confidence that the state would be top-rated in the ongoing evaluation, despite not being in direct competition with other participating states like Nasarawa and Niger. She also urged IFAD-VCDP to extend its reach from 8 to all 13 LGAs in the state.
Leader of the IFAD evaluation team, Usman Damata, emphasized that the assessment is conducted independently and results are reported only to the IFAD board. He noted that Ebonyi’s performance could influence broader regional outcomes, including in Anambra and Enugu States.
IFAD-VCDP State Programme Manager, Mr. Sunday Ituma, highlighted that the meeting aimed to guide stakeholders on evaluation procedures, calling for fairness and accuracy in the assessment.
Other stakeholders, including representatives from the state Ministry of Finance, the House of Assembly’s agriculture committee, and agro-dealers, gave goodwill messages in support of the program.
