Agriculture: APPEALS Project’s 4th Implementation Support Mission Commences in 3 states

The 4th Implementation Support Mission, ISM of the Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support, APPEALS Project on Monday kicked off with a Technical Meeting held at the National Coordination Office of the Project in Abuja.

The Meeting which was jointly presided over by the World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader of the APPEALS Project, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe and the National Project Coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Dr. Amin Mohammed Babandi was attended by officials of the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Members of Management and some key staff of the APPEALS Project.

During the meeting, an Overview of the APPEALS Project from the last Implementation Support Mission held in Calabar was presented by the National Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Mr. Adekunle Adesoye who highlighted the implementation progress made across the five components of the APPEALS Project in the Participating States and at the National level since the last mission.

Speaking at the meeting, the Task Team Leader, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe expressed total confidence in the capability of the National Project Coordinator to pilot the Project to a successful implementation adding that: “The APPEALS Project has all it takes to succeed. The APPEALS Project is the most important Project of the World Bank in the Agriculture sector in Nigeria right now. To whom much is given, much is expected. Let us work together as a team to make the APPEALS the best Project”.

The National Project Coordinator, Dr. Amin Mohammed Babandi praised the Task Team Leader for his strong understanding of the Project and reiterated the specific objectives of the APPEALS Project which are to boost the efforts of the Government by harnessing the priority Value Chains to contribute significantly to Food Security, Increased Agro Exports and Livelihood Improvement, while the broad objective is to enhance the agricultural productivity of Small and Medium scale farmers and improve Value Addition along the priority value chains in the participating states. He urged the Project staff to remain focused on projects activities that would advance these objectives.

The 4th Implementation Support Mission is holding across three states: Kaduna, Cross River and Lagos respectively from December 9th – December 21st, 2019. Participants expected at the 4th ISM include the World Bank Team; the National Coordinating Office and Project Implementation Units, PIU Members from the six participating states; State Steering Committee, SSC and State Technical Committee, STC; Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Federal Ministry of Finance; FMARD Project Coordinating Unit and other stakeholders.

The main objective of the biannual Mission, led by World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader for the APPEALS Project, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe is to assess the overall implementation progress of the APPEALS Project. A draft Aide Memoire will be prepared and discussed with the Government at the end of the Mission.