The Benue State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) held a consultative meeting with Community Interest Groups in the Makurdi watershed to identify Community Business Agents for the implementation of the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) programme.
Declaring the exercise open at Smile View Hotel, Makurdi, the State Project Coordinator, Benue ACReSAL, Bldr. Victor Ama said Community Business Agents (CBA) will support the sub-component implementation of the ACReSAL CRF loan programme designed to assist communities to embrace, climate-smart agriculture and charge participants to take meetings seriously.
Bldr. Ama noted that the consultative meeting was organized to give more light and sensitize participants on the workings of CRF in the ACReSAL project adding that it was an activity well designed by the project to look at challenges affecting communities to solve them. He said, “The programme is well articulated and designed to assist common people at the grass-root level who are the most vulnerable.’’
While appreciating participants for the large turnout, the State Project Coordinator commended the ACReSAL CRF team for the level of commitment and sensitization of communities in the Makurdi watershed and called on groups that are yet to register to do so to enable them to access the funds.
In their presentations on eligibility criteria for selecting CBAs and financial management in CRF, the programme Desk Officer, Seember Ugoho and Assistant Project Account, John Inakwu advised communities to carefully identify people of proven integrity to be their CBAs.
In a vote of thanks, the Ag. Director, General Services and Administration and Chairman, Benue ACReSAL, Makurdi Local Government Project Management Committee, (LGPMC) Mr. Ortserga Igyuse appreciated the leadership of Benue ACReSAL for the opportunity given to CIGs in Makurdi LGA to be in the pilot phase of the programme.
He identified two key things about loans to include, including accessing and paying back loans and appealed to CIGs seeking for loan to use it judiciously when accessed and be mindful of the need to pay back the loan.
Two participants Miriam Idris and Shiisha Chia commended ACReSAL for the continuous sensitization of CIGs on CRF activities, saying knowledge gained from the consultative meeting will be used for the success of the project.