KWACReSAL visits Ijagbo, assures community of benefiting in Worldbank project
The Kwara state government, through the state Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) on Friday, in an advocacy visit to the palace of Onijagbo of Ijagbo land, Oba Buhari Adeniyi Sharafa Ilufemiloye I, for the rapid take-off of the plan to establish nurseries for planting economic and valuable trees for the benefit of Kwarans as part of visit to the six selected communities
The State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Shamsideen Olatunbosun Aregbe, led by the staff of State Project Implementation Unit (SPMU) visited Ijagbo, in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, to facilitate the provision of five hectares of land by the Ijagbo community for the establishment of nurseries in the community.
Welcoming the team during the community engagement, the Onijagbo of Ijagbo land, Oba Buhari Adeniyi Sharafa Ilufemiloye I, described the ACReSAL central nursery project as a great initiative, declaring his unwavering support for the project and assuring them of his commitment to the success of the project.
The Monarch, while disclosing that the project will not only facilitate greater socio-economic development but also improve the livelihood of his people, promised to relate with his community to earmark a suitable land for the prompt commencement of the project.
He said, “We have granted your request, seeing the project as a great initiative, and we welcome it. Please communicate any support you need to my office. I am ready to support this project.”
Earlier in his address, the State Project Coordinator explained that six communities, including Ijagbo, have been selected for the establishment of the central nursery project in Kwara.
According to him, “The nurseries will be of immense benefit to Ijagbo community. The central nursery project will serve as a platform for planting valued seedlings and economic trees that can be sold to improve the livelihood of the community. We will also be planting trees that can be used to control erosion in the central nursery.”
He noted that the ACReSAL project is a partnership between the World Bank and the Kwara State Government, stressing that the project is also being implemented in 19 other States of Northern Nigeria and the FCT.
The State Coordinator explained that the project will serve not only Ijagbo community but also the neighbouring ones, he allayed their fears and assured them that the land to be used for the project would still be owned by the community.
“Apart from the central nursery project, Ijagbo is now one of our catchment areas. So, there will be other benefits for the community, including implementation support for farmers, capacity building programmes for women and young people,” he said.
Present at the exercise were the Palace chiefs, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.
Similarly, a visit was made by the Kwara ACReSAL team to Iponrin in Ilorin East Local Government to firm up discussions on its central nursery project.
The Baale of Iponrin, Alhaji Hamad Musa Otebakin IV, assured that all the necessary preparation was ongoing to ensure the project implementation in the community.
He was truly grateful to the State Government, the World Bank and the Kwara Team for the inclusion of his community in the project.
“We can see that this is for the benefit of our community, your team has been open in all our engagements. You have our support for the project” the Baale reiterated.
