The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has projected a budget of N5.17 billion for its 2026 activities in Ebonyi.

The IFAD–VCDP state programme coordinator, Sunday Ituma, disclosed this in Abakaliki during the state steering committee meeting on the 2026 Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) on Monday.

Mr Ituma said the budget, presented by the State Programme Management Unit (SPMU), targets improved agricultural productivity, youth empowerment, and value addition in rice and cassava production.

He explained that the budget would be funded through multi-stakeholder contributions to enhance the livelihoods of farmers across eight participating local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

“IFAD will provide N4.122 billion, the Ebonyi government will contribute N176.64 million, while beneficiaries will support implementation with N876.73 million,” he said.

He added that a key component of the AWPB is the provision of small-scale rice processing equipment, including haulers, destoners, weighing scales, and bag-stitching machines, worth N150 million for farmer organisations.

According to him, the budget also covers the procurement of two rice colour sorters valued at N60 million and equipment for youth enterprises involved in vitamin A cassava processing.

“The youth processing equipment includes ovens, gas cylinders, extractors, and scales estimated at N22.5 million,” he said.

Mr Ituma expressed satisfaction with the steering committee’s approval of the budget, adding that it would next be forwarded to the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Finance for concurrence.

“This will be followed by the final submission to IFAD headquarters for clearance. Hopefully, by late 2025 or early 2026, activities will commence across participating LGAs,” he said.

The coordinator noted that since its inception in 2015, IFAD–VCDP had empowered thousands of farmers in Ebonyi, injecting more than N17 billion into the state’s economy.

Chairman of the VCDP Steering Committee and Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nkechinyere Iyioku, commended the implementation team for its commitment and urged it to sustain the momentum.

Ms Iyioku encouraged the team to expand its coverage to all LGAs, describing IFAD–VCDP’s interventions as “life-changing” for rural communities in the state.

Vice chairman of the Steering Committee and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Leonard Uguru, also lauded the programme’s high performance, saying its evaluation ratings exceeded 90 per cent.

“We have encouraged other World Bank-assisted teams in the state to learn from IFAD–VCDP’s impressive performance and impact-driven approach,” Mr Uguru added.

(NAN)