APPEALS Project Kick-Starts WYEP With World Bank Support In Calabar

The Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support, APPEALS Project says it is in the process of Empowering Farmers especially women, youths and the physically challenged to improve their living condition.

APPEALS State Project Co-ordinator Dr Marcel Agim stated this during a one-day stakeholders workshop for beneficiaries of Women and Youths Empowerment Programme, WYEP and Service Providers in Calabar, Cross river State-Nigeria.

Dr Marcel said the workshop, supported by World Bank was targeted at training the beneficiaries and Service Providers on the Procurement Procedures and Implementation Process.

He further stated that disbursement of funds had already commenced into restricted accounts of the beneficiaries which can be accessed after due process had been carried out.

National Co-ordinator of the Project, Mal. Sani Jobdi said fifty per cent of the funding was coming from the World Bank and is aimed at Empowering Women and Youths, including the physically challenged in the state.

He said the Process involved the Selection of WYEP beneficiaries, the Corporate Affairs Commission registration, and Proper Training of Beneficiaries to make well-informed choice about their enterprise, after which the start-up grants would be made available to them.

Mallam Sani further explained that the beneficiaries have the right to choose their Service Providers that would provide them with the necessary inputs ranging from Agro Chemicals, seeds and seedlings among other farm equipments that they may need during the exercise.

Also speaking, Deputy Governor of Cross River State Prof. Ivara Esu pledged to leave no stone unturned toward ensuring smooth implementation of the project.

Represented by the Commissioner For Agriculture, Ntufam Okon Owuna, the Deputy Governor said that all bottlenecks on the project had been resolved and implementation will follow in no distant time, hence the program was under the supervision of the ministry of agriculture.

The beneficiaries and Service Providers expressed gratitude to the Appeals Project for putting together the workshop to enable them manage their Funds and Procure the right Service Providers for their Value Chain, as well as keep track of the Inputs and Output on their Investment toward achieving Productivity in the state.