International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has handed over two market infrastructure worth about twenty-five million naira to Azia community in Ihiala Local Government Area.
The infrastructure, which comprised of ten lockup stores, fourteen open stalls and one VIP toilet, is sited at Obom Market Azia.
News Echo reports that the infrastructure was constructed for FGN/IFAD VCDP members under Azia cluster after contributing ten percent of the total cost as their own counterpart fund.
Inaugurating and handing over the infrastructure to the community, the commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Nnamdi Onukwuba, who spoke through a Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Agriculture, Mr. Obioma Mbanefo charged the beneficiaries to take ownership, maintain and judiciously make use of the infrastructure to change their financial status through innovation.
The State Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD VCDP, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha assured to further support them with a cassava mill which according to him, is dependent on the management of the market infrastructure.
Speaking, the Transition Committee chairman, Ihiala Local Government Area, Sir Jude Obi lauded the federal government and Governor Obiano in particular for attracting such an intervention programme even as he assured maximum security of the infrastructure.
For the President General, Azia General Assembly, Dr. Toonna Nwabueze the aims and objectives of the market infrastructure would be sustained, promising that the community will not disappoint the FGN IFAD VCDP.
The chairman, Igwebuike Cooperative Society Azia, one of the cooperative societies that make-up Azia Cluster, Mr. Uzochukwu Chukwuebuka, who listed capacity building as the greatest thing they benefited from FGN IFAD VCDP, identified the market infrastructure as the least and prayed God to reward them abundantly.
