By Elijah Akoji and Lukman Abdulmalik, Solacebase
Lack of access roads and warehouses for storage of grains for rural farmers were the key reasons for the multi-billion naira Climate Change Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Program initiative by the Federal Government in 2013. The project was funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
13 years later, SOLACEBASE investigation uncovers abandoned projects and failure to execute contracts in some locations in Jigawa and Yobe states.
The Nigerian government in 2013, secured a $72. 46 million loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), under its Climate Change Adaptation Agribusiness Support Program for seven Savanna Belt states which include Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Borno States. According to the agreement, IFAD financing was $72.46 million, while the co-financier Nigeria contributed $5.77 million as a mandatory contribution classified as domestic support, which amounts to a total of $81.49 million as the financing amount for the project for the seven states.
The six-year Climate Change Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Program in the Savannah Belt (CASP), was approved by IFAD on 11 December 2013, entered into force on 25 March 2015, became effective in the country 21 months after IFAD’s approval, and had the first disbursement in January 2017, three years after IFAD’s approval. Actual implementation commenced in 2018, while the CASP ended in 2021.
A visit to the Bardo community in Taura LGA of Jigawa State has revealed that the multi-million naira five-kilometer road project was abandoned the same year the project was awarded in 2021 while in Bonegreal community only one warehouse was built with no trace of market. SOLACEBASE gathered that the warehouse collapsed two months after it was constructed while across other locations like Jaji Maji listed among the benefiting communities, there is no trace of the project on ground.
The Jigawa Experience
In 2021, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under its Climate Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Program awarded N40 million for the construction of a 5km climate change vulnerable road (phase III) project in Bordo village Taura LGA Jigawa state, to Amzed Construction Ltd, a Water Treatment Chemical Supplying company not qualified to execute a road construction contract. The company has no website or social media presence or its directors’ profile online.
While IFAD report indicates that the contractor was paid in full sum, a visit to Bardo community revealed that it had been abandoned halfway leaving residents to bear the brunt.
Aisha Talatu is lucky to still be alive after she fell off a motorcycle with her 6-month-old pregnancy while going to the hospital for antenatal care.
She said, “The road was even in a better condition than how it is at the moment, although not tarred, it was motorable with fewer accidents, so since they graded the road and left it like that, rain has helped even worsen the situation with so many portholes.
“Thank God I am still alive and my baby is not crawling, I almost lost my pregnancy after I fell from the bike while going to the General Hospital. It was a terrible experience as I sustained injuries and the bike got damaged.”.
The N40 Million Bardo 5km road project was awarded in 2021, the same year the Climate Change Adaptation Agribusiness Support Programme was due to end, giving residents of this community the hope of a better access road.
Tijjani Usman the newly appointed community head of Bardo community, said the abandonment of the road has made business slow down and has increased the number of accidents on the road.
He said, “Bardo is a very big community with a lot of agricultural crops like millet and hibiscus, buyers from across the country come in here and export it out of our community, but they have all stopped because there is no longer access road, farmers are compelled to transport their goods to the market to meet with their buyer, a double cost with little profit for farmers…
“When the news of the project came to us, and we saw contractors mobilized to begin work, we were all excited that we gave them all the support needed, including manpower, and all of a sudden, the contractor left and never returned.
“We can’t count the number of accidents recorded on this abandoned road, even though it’s not as busy as the major road. I could recall how heavy-duty trucks flow into our community just to collect grains and this is the only road that connects Bordo to the main road and other communities.”
Absence Of Warehouse Sent Grain Dealers Out Of Business In Yobe State.
For Alkasim Bala, a dealer of different kinds of grains, the news of the warehouse project gave hope as it would enable him store his goods before exporting them out of Yobe to his major buyers. But little did he know that his joy was only temporary.
He narrated how he lost over 6 million worth of goods in the warehouse after it collapsed less than two months after it was constructed.
He said, “Since it was going to be rented and I had a lot of goods covered with normal leather tarpaulin, I quickly paid the money and moved all my grains, this was my worst mistake in life. I loaded all my goods in the warehouse, and just as it was constructed in less than two weeks, the building only lasted for less than two months.
“A heavy wind came one night while we were still asleep and blew off the roof, destroying one section of the building and it collapsed damaging all my grains, worth over 6 million naira, this was how it took me out of business and left me in debt repayment.”
While there is no trace of a new market in Bonegarel community as part of the contract, the warehouse only lasted for two weeks after construction before it collapsed, destroying people’s source of livelihood.
The 2021 IFAD report revealed that the contracts for the construction of a warehouse and market across Bonegarel community in Yusufari LGA, and Babangida and Jajimaji community market in Karasuwa LGA were awarded to Kimrams Nigeria Limited. The company is located at No. 20 Dutse Close Off Agakulu Way Abuja and is currently inactive on the CAC portal and with no traces online.
The project is part of the IFAD’s Climate Change Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Program. N700 million was awarded for the construction of markets and warehouses across nine communities in Yobe State.
Ibrahim Bello, IFAD state program officer in Yobe State, listed the nine locations to include Machina, Jajimaji, Bayamari, Bonegaral, Dawasa, Bukarti, Babangida, Ngelzarma, and Ngalda.
In Karasuwa Local Government Area, traders in Jajimaji market denied knowledge of any of such projects carried out in the market in the last 10 years.
SOLACEBASE also did not see any evidence on the ground, except tents built in the form of shops with thatched roofs.
Abubakar Jimbam is also a major dealer of grains and chairman of the market. He decried the neglect of the market by the government and confirmed that the market has been in its present condition for many years.
He said, “It is important to quickly disclaim that we don’t have any of such projects you have asked for, be it a new market constructed or a warehouse, there is no single shop in this market except the ones constructed by individuals outside the market that have been converted to be part of the market.
“If the government or any agency claimed to have constructed any shops or warehouse, they should tell us where, but most definitely not Jaji Maji market.”
He said the people have been neglected for years despite their contribution to the economy of the state, adding that on market days, “over 100 million naira exchange hands in this market, and trailers come here to load up grains of different kinds to other parts of the country.”
Ministry, IFAD Refuse To Comment On The Status Of The Project
Yahaya Othman is the IFAD Zonal Coordinator covering Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, and Sokoto. He said he has been in the position for over six years and explained that all IFAD projects were approved from Abuja, adding that his role is only supervisory.
Othman said, “We can only give limited comments on the projects implemented by IFAD as Zonal heads or even regional heads, this is because all documentation of all projects is done from the head office and all we do at our end is to ensure monitoring of project implementation.
“You may have to go to the Ministry of Agriculture to ask about the Climate Change Adaptation Agribusiness Support Programme, they implemented it but with IFAD funds.”
Joseph Ezechukwu, the Deputy Director of Procurement at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, was contacted to provide information about the project. He directed SOLACEBASE to IFAD office and refused to respond to any further questions or calls from the reporter.
This investigation is produced with support from Civic Media Lab.