Agro-productivity: Media urged to support the implementation of the APPEALS Project

Capacity building and collaboration with critical stakeholders particularly the media has been identified as the key components for the success of the World Bank’s assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) Project.

National Project Coordinator of the APPEALS Project Mohammed Sani Jobdi made the submission while speaking at the opening of a Workshop On Development Communication for journalists on Monday in Karu, Nasarawa state.

He noted that, the project’s strategic communication approach is to consolidate relationship with the media, to utilize available communication channels to facilitate the realization of the Project’s Development Objective, which is to enhance the agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers and to improve value addition along the priority value chains in the participating states.

“From the inception of the APPEALS Project till date, agricultural Journalists belonging to various collaborating media organizations have supported the Project by widely utilizing their platforms to create awareness, sensitization and visibility about the project among the general public, opinion leaders, stakeholders and the target beneficiaries. These efforts have helped to showcase the Project’s activities, programmes and the progress being made in implementation.”

Mr Mohammed Jobdi said the project is designed in line with the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) of the Federal Government.

The participating states and value chains include; Cross River (Rice, Cocoa, Poultry), Enugu (Rice, Cashew, Poultry), Kaduna (Maize, Ginger, Dairy) Kano (Rice, Wheat, Tomato), Kogi (Cassava, Cashew, Rice), Lagos (Rice, Aquaculture, Poultry).

The workshop which focuses on Reporting the Implementation Progress of the APPEALS Project aims to improve the reportorial skills of the participants and to promote best practices especially on development issues relating to agriculture in Nigeria, as well as to increase the understanding and interest of the media in the APPEALS Project as a development project, that is making positive impacts in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

APPEALS project is a 6-year project designed in line with the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The project is also targeting to empower about 60,000 persons on 11 agricultural value in six states.

It is also expected that 35 per cent of the beneficiaries of the project will be women and youths who will be empowered along Rice, Cocoa, Poultry, Cashew, Maize, Ginger, Diary, Wheat, Tomato, Cassava and Aquaculture value chains.

The project was approved by the World Bank on March 23, 2017 and became disbursement effective on May 24, 2018. It is expected to close by September 2023.