APPEALS commences 4th Project’s Implementation Support Mission

The 4th Implementation Support Mission, (ISM) of the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support, (APPEALS) Project kicked off with a Technical Meeting held at the National Coordination Office of the Project in Abuja.

The Meeting which was jointly presided over by the World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader of the APPEALS Project, Dr Adetunji Oredipe and the National Project Coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Dr Amin Mohammed Babandi was attended by officials of the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Members of Management and some key staff of the APPEALS Project.

During the meeting, the National Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Mr Adekunle Adesoye presented the overview of the APPEALS Project from the last Implementation Support Mission in Calabar.

He highlighted the implementation progress made across the five components of the APPEALS Project in the Participating States and at the National level since the last mission.

Speaking at the meeting, the Task Team Leader, Dr Adetunji Oredipe said “the APPEALS Project has all it takes to succeed. The APPEALS Project is the most important Project of the World Bank in the Agriculture sector in Nigeria right now. To whom much is given, much is expected. Let us work together as a team to make the APPEALS the best Project”.

The APPEALS National Project Coordinator, Dr Amin Mohammed Babandi reiterated the specific objectives of the APPEALS Project which are to boost the efforts of the Government by harnessing the priority Value Chains to contribute significantly to Food Security, Increased Agro Exports and Livelihood Improvement, while the broad objective is to enhance the agricultural productivity of Small and Medium-scale farmers and improve Value Addition along the priority value chains in the participating states.

He urged the Project staff to remain focused on projects activities that would advance these objectives.

The main objective of the biannual Mission, led by World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader for the APPEALS Project, Dr Adetunji Oredipe is to assess the overall implementation progress of the APPEALS Project.