Kano Agro Project counsels Jigawa Govt. on project management
The State project Coordinator, Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project, KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, has advised the government of Jigawa state to put in place a quality management system for its Islamic Development Bank funded project for best results.
“Donors have guidelines to monitor their funds and they rely largely on operational efficiency of the Project Management Unit to monitor their funds”.
The Project Coordinator gave the recommendation while receiving a delegation from Jigawa state, led by the Special Adviser to the state governor on Cluster Farming, Alhaji Muhammad Idris Danzomo, who visited the KSADP office in Kano.
He further advised the state government to rethink the option of having the Managing Director of the state Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, JARDA, doubling as the State Coordinator of the Jigawa Integrated and Rural Development Project, cautioning that combining the two roles may pose operational challenges .
Malam Ibrahim said from the onset the KSADP, funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, LLF, the project streamlined its operations, working closely with IITA, ICRISAT and SAA as technical partners, to achieve optimally.
“It is now in its third year of implementation and the KSADP has invested handsomely in sustainable development of selected livestock and crop value chains in Kano, with very good results”.
The Special Adviser to the governor of Jigawa state on Cluster Farming, Muhammad Idris Danzomo said the engagement was basically to learn from the experience of the KSADP, its management structure, challenges and success stories, so that Jigawa state can replicate.
“From the interaction, I can see you have capable hands and that might be some of the reason why you are moving forward. The Jigawa project and your own were signed at the same time but the IsDB could not make the Jigawa project disbursement effective until we get capable hands”, he stated.
The Special Adviser thanked the KSADP Project Management Unit for receiving his delegation cordially and for the openness in interaction, stressing that the team was so impressed with the reception accorded and would report the gesture to the Jigawa state governor.
Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director, Jigawa State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, JARDA, Malam Imam Muhammad, who is also the State Coordinator of the Jigawa Integrated and Rural Development Project, funded by the Islamic Development Bank, IsDB, said feasibility study has been conducted for the project, hence the need to study the KSADP model in order to succeed.
“The Islamic Development Bank asked us to come and learn from you and we are paying attention to procurement, monitoring and evaluation and finance so that we can be on the right track”.
