GOV. GAIDAM VOWS TO END FOOD INSECURITY…

“If not because of the support and commitment of H.E Governor Alh. (Dr.) Ibrahim Gaidam FCNA, FCPA to agriculture, we could not have achieved what we are celebrating these days.”  - Mustapha Goggobe (PM ADP)

 

By Umar Ibrahim Usman & Mansur Madaki

Mustapha Goggobe is the present Yobe State Programme Manager of Agricultural Development Programme (ADP). He is a well trained, skillful and a professional farmer. He is a consultant, hardworking and cognizant agriculturalist as well as a dedicated civil servant. He was a tutor, and a vigorous instructor in agriculture. He started his agricultural career at Chad Basin Development Authority after obtaining his Diploma certificate in Agriculture in the year 1977.  He was in Chad Basin from 1978 to 1984. Upon the time he finish  Higher National Diploma  (HND) in 1982, Goggobe resign from  Chad basin immediately after completion of his NYSC, where he join the University of Maiduguri till the time he became Farm Manager, Crop Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture and studied in same Faculty and obtained Bsc Agriculture. More so, Goggobe’s enthusiasm, diligence and passion for the Agriculture were acknowledged by the Modibbo Adama University - Yola, where their team  saddled with the responsibility of establishing the University Farm. 

Thereafter, he was given an offer by the Yobe state Government in 1994. Immediately after he join the service, Goggobe begin to showcase his talent by exposing his creativity, after he successfully write a memo and convince the government to introduce horticulture unit in the state, under the ministry of agriculture in which he was appointed the Deputy Director in charge of Horticulture then. Establishment of Horticulture unit in Yobe State can be credited to his originality.

Moreover, Mustapha Goggobe went back to University where he obtain  Masters Degree as well, forwhy of his strong desire to build a successful career and to left an upstanding legacy in Agriculture. Due to his upholding believe in knowledge, as he always says that “no place for illiteracy in agriculture; A farmer is always supposed to be updated.” Meanwhile farmers need training and retraining continuously. In his quest for knowledge, he attended numerous courses both within Nigeria and  in various countries like Israel, China and Benin Republic among others.

Afterwards, Goggobe was nominated for the post of Yobe state Agronomist by the then Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and after this assignment and again seconded to a UNDP vacancy as Programme Manager Agriculture by the ministry of agriculture. He served as a provost of College of Agriculture ‘Mamudo’ before it was relocated to ‘Gujba’ under his Administration. He works with Northeast Arid Zone Development Programme (NEAZPD) Gashua as Agronomist. He was also Deputy Director in ministry of Agric., Agricultural Services and later on Deputy General Manager of Fertilizer Company, and later rouse to General Manager of the company. He serves as a Director of Agric Services Yobe State ministry of Agriculture among others.

 

INER: What is the first thing you do after you became Programme Manager ADP?

Goggobe: it has become my nature, that wherever I found myself I use to create something. Therefore through my initiatives I was able to make Changes in places where I worked.  Hence, I did the same when came to ADP. Because when I came many things are not in good shape. So as a professional, I encourage our staff to wake up, and work together in order to see that our farmers enjoying with new innovative that will improve their livelihood.

INER: What are your achievements?

Let me start with the issue of counterpart funding of Agricultural projects like FADAMA III, AF 11 project, IFAD, and National Programme for Food Security (NPFS). Under FADAMA III project the World Bank allocated 10 Million Dollars to Yobe state to be implemented by FADAMA111 AF 11 targeted for livelihood restoration to IDPs, Returnees and Host communities, but they are looking for counterpart funds of 20 million Naira from the state government, similarly IFAD also needs 40 million Naira, while NPFS request 74 Million Naira as a counter fund. Therefore these are the set conditions for FADAMA III, IFAD, & National Programme for Food Security.  We thank Allah SWT and our Governor on receiving the conditions, he immediately prioritize and approved the payment of all the  counter fund funding for the benefit of our rural farming families .Again the state government released over 38 million Naira for the supply of tractor tires and tubes , spare parts ,threshers, implements and equipments for rehabilitation of 10 tractors and fertilizer was procured and sold to farmer through the 17 LGAs for the benefit of our grassroots small holder farmers. Hence this is not a small achievement.

Activities of the insurgences caused a lot of havocs and lost lives , properties etc in the state, in which many donor agencies are in the state to offer their humanitarian assistance to IDPs returning to their communities, Host Communities and remaining IDPs in camps. INGOs like FAO-UN consider ADP as implementing partner implementing their mission effectively within the state. FAO procure and distributes farm inputs like improved seeds and fertilizers for rain fed and irrigated crop production while organization like WFP,CRS, ACF,NERI etc supplies both food assistance and some combine both.  We normally give adequate advises to all organizations that are willing to distribute livelihood restoration inputs through the Food Security Working Group monthly meeting chaired by the ADP Programme Manager. Every month, we are assessing which organization do what, the criteria used and at where in order to avoid duplication and or marginalization of some communities.  In this 2017 rainy season FAO targeted and distributed farm inputs (assorted seeds and fertilizer) to 33,000 most vulnerable households in 15 local governments of the state.

Moreover, ADP is collaborating with Lake Chad Research institute  conducting monthly training to ADP Extension Agents in the two zones with new Agricultural Innovations. NAERLS, ABU, Zaria and ICRISAT, Kano also release foundation seeds for trials by our farmers under their watch, which will eventually be selected for seed multiplication annually.

This year (2017), new concept was created tagged ,Accelerating Agriculture Development: titled partnership approach to cereal-legume systems improvement in Yobe state conceived by FAO Nigeria in collaboration with International Crops Research Institute For The Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Kano and Yobe State ADP as implementing partner. The major objective of the project are to establish a functional, broad partnership for the evaluation, dissemination and marketing of improved cereal-legume technologies and produce; evaluate and disseminate improved cereal and legumes varieties and cereal-legume-livestock system in Yobe state; and strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers, youth and women’s groups to efficiently use improved agricultural technologies, processing and agricultural services provision. The project is currently going on in 4 LGAs (Damaturu,Fune, Potiskum and Nangere) among the 17 LGAs of the state. Through farmer field schools, technology centres and other activities, the project will directly reach 5,000 farmers, small processors and service providers (an average of 1000 per LGA) with improved agronomic systems, seeds of improved varieties of selected crops and processing for household nutrition and income generating activities. In addition, the project will link over 50,000 farmers, processors and other stakeholders through field days, radio talk shows and dissemination of extension materials.

Due to modern technology on soil status directly in the field provision of selecting one subject matter specialist to be trained by FAO in collaboration with FMARD , one of our SMS benefited from the training and bagged a set of on the spot soil testing kit aimed to train Extension Agents is all the LGAs.

We also distribute different pamphlets on various aspects of agricultural production and also air ADPs extension activities through Radio twice every week since 2014 with subject matter specialist and periodic TV programs and print media to disseminate our activities.

ADP staff have not enjoyed annual promotion for a long period, therefore to boost their moral I constituted both junior and senior staff committees headed by the Program Manager and Director Human Resources respectively and promoted all deserving officers with full financial benefits.

NERM: If we’re sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it’s been for you in this role, what did you achieve?

Goggobe: Due to the activities of insurgency; there is food insecurity in the state. I am very confident to inform you that by next year the food insecurity will be substantially decreased and possibly food security will be restored or it will be far better than this year. This is imperative because  of the food production in Yobe state have substantially increased this year, due to the commitment of present administration call to adopt agriculture,   I am very happy the Governor (Alh.( Dr.) Ibrahim Gaidam Fcna,Fcpn) put forth agriculture among his priorities with leading example to become  integrated farmer himself; hence, there is ongoing revolution in agricultural sector in Yobe state today. The present administration set up task force on irrigation to harness the irrigation potential areas of the state, it is a revolution because irrigation schemes were created by former Borno state since 1970s, and after the creation of Yobe no Government has ever think about reviving it. Yet, the present administration invested/dedicated more than one billion naira to irrigation schemes across the state. The task force has since swung into action commenced work at Garin Gada in  Yunusari LGA,( one of the biggest irrigation schemes inherited from former Borno state), also Jumbam in Bursari LGA and Boloram in Gaidam LGA where wash bores are drilled accompanied with motorized pumps allocated to dry season farmers,while in Nguru lake, canals, water gates, dykes etc with big hydro flow pumps are under construction. This project will cover all irrigation potential area of the state including Ngalda , Gadana in Fika LGA amongst many others, to cater  for over 40,000 youth farmers. 

NERM: all what you are talking about are Capital projects, and some small scales farmers are in urgent need of financial support (startup capital), what is Yobe state government is doing of this?

Goggobe: Concerning this we have National Programme for Food Security, FADAMA III, and IFAD; these three organization i.e. National Programme for Food Security disburse  interest free loans to  farmers at different communities within their catchment areas. Farmers normally form cooperative groups of common farming activities e.g rainy season farmers associations, livestock farmers, fisheries, irrigated farmers associations etc., the association are registered with state government and each Association will open an account with each members monthly contributions and the loan will  be deposited to their account directly and the association  signatories to the account will withdraw the loan and distribute to beneficiaries. Beneficiaries will be guided on how to pay back the loan by providing them with account number or through site managers that will follow them for collection after harvest. Immediately after repayment others members will benefit. All these will not be possible devoid of counterpart payment by Yobe state Government under the leadership of HE Alh (Dr) Ibrahim Gaidam Fcna,Fcpa . Similarly, FADAMA III has their own empowerment style, e.g they distribute ram and sheep or goats to women accompanied with feeds, drugs and food support to each beneficiary and at the same the beneficiaries receives capacity building and Advisory Service trainings on how to utilize items received. However, all the three project are strictly supervised by the nation headquarters where all activities are designed with cost estimates and must be followed according to specification and Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Agriculture must be briefed. Credit must also goes to the Hon commissioner Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engr. Mustapha Gajerima mnae who support all the activities throughout implementations.   

 

NERM: Do you have a scheme of assisting farmers after harvest?

In Yobe state, we have Market linkage; we assist seed growers with market linking. In case of Fish farmers, we have our staff that are going round to link them with hotels and other buyers that will buy in large quantity. As am speaking to you now, National Programme for Food Security constructed and equipped a fifty million worth of company at  Badejo, Potiskum LGA called Bubaram/Gakoko grain processing company limited , where maize grits, flour etcetera are processed and sold public, hence value addition has been achieved. The company employs more than twenty people which also created employment opportunity to the community.  We are also discouraging the seed growers (farmers) to avoid immediate selling of their harvest until after we find suitable market for them. Until we analyze the market and provide them market. We also give loan to farmers breed rams and target Sallah Festivals; also during fasting period we did the same to fish farmers.  

NERM: How do you relate with World Food Programme (WFP)? 

World Food Program (WFP) is UN outfit saddled with food distribution to most vulnerable communities in a crisis affected areas all over the world. In Yobe state WFP are around for some years back distributing food to thousands of most vulnerable House Holds in Yobe state. WFP and ADP are collaborating to end hunger in Yobe state.

NERM: Are there any efforts to curtail shortage of eggs in Yobe State, because most of it was brought from neighboring states (by improving poultry farming)?

In general farming in Nigeria as a whole and  Yobe state  in particular  has become a business due yearnings by our President Muhammad Buhari and our dynamic  Governer Alh Ibrahim Gaidam, it is no more means of getting only food to eat  as it was upheld by some of our traditional farmers. The present administration has encouraged farming to be a business.

We are encouraging our people to invest in agriculture through enlightenment and consultations. I want to ensure you that, very soon many people will come on board, because they begin to understand our programmes inviting people to invest in agricultural production being our way of living . Moreover, not only poultry production, fisheries but other aspects of agriculture  will be attracted to many individuals to adopt as the present  government changed agricultural view to be a profitable venture.

 

 “The Greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things together.” Ronald Reagan.

 

Mustapha Goggobe, Programme Manager,Yobe State  Agricultural Development Programme (YOSADP) said “This is the type of leadership we have in Yobe state, Alh.( Dr.) Ibrahim Gaidam fcna,fcpa Is a leader who has a great sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self – restraint to keep meddling with them while they do it”. If not because of the support and commitment of Governor Gaidam to Agriculture, we could not have achieved what we are celebrating these days.”

Gaidam has pledge to end hunger with the way he is encouraging farmers with all the necessary support.