By Henry Anagboso
The Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development (FGN/IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has called for stronger support from the Anambra State Government and local government authorities to ensure the long-term sustainability of market infrastructure, feeder roads and other facilities provided under the programme.
The call was made during a one-day Policy Dialogue on Institutionalising Operations and Maintenance (O/M) Frameworks for VCDP Infrastructure, held on August 15 at the ADP Complex, Awka. The programme stressed the need for formal adoption of the recommended O/M frameworks to protect infrastructure from damage, encroachment and neglect while ensuring continued benefits to farming communities.
Representing the National Programme Coordinator of FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, the Knowledge Management and Communications Adviser, Mrs. Vera Onyeaka-Onyilo, urged the state government to translate the recommendations of the dialogue into enforceable regulatory guidelines. She also called on local government Mayors to support the enactment of bylaws that would provide legal backing for Facility Management Committees and strengthen infrastructure protection at the grassroots.
According to the programme, the proposed O/M framework focuses on key areas including dedicated budgeting, preventive maintenance schedules, restructuring and training of management teams, public-private co-funding mechanisms and community-based early-warning systems. It emphasised that effective maintenance is as important as the initial construction of the infrastructure.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Ben Chuks Odoemena, described VCDP as an important platform for promoting agribusiness in the state, recalling his involvement in the programme’s design during his tenure as IFAD Country Director in Nigeria. He disclosed that the Anambra State Agricultural Strategy Plan would be released in the coming weeks following consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Dr. Odoemena said the state was pursuing an agro-industrialisation strategy aimed at strengthening food security by ensuring that food is available, affordable and accessible, while promoting production systems that contribute to improved nutrition.
The State Programme Coordinator for FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Dr. Deborah Onyefulu, said the policy dialogue was designed to strengthen ownership, accountability and commitment to sustaining VCDP-supported investments and interventions across local governments and communities. She urged stakeholders to move from discussions to implementation, stressing the need for collective responsibility in protecting the programme’s investments.
Participants commended VCDP for its interventions and emphasis on transparency, accountability, inclusion and human-capacity development. The dialogue concluded with technical presentations on VCDP interventions, including Gender Action Learning System (GALS) and O/M, followed by interactive sessions where participants exchanged ideas and made recommendations on strengthening the sustainability of infrastructure investments.
Henry Anagboso is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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