The National Fadama III Development Project (NFDP) will cost about $440 million, Dr Sidi Jammeh of the World Bank has said.

All Africa reports his speech to other officials of the Bank on a fact-finding visit to Zamfara on 4 March. Dr Jammeh said out of the amount, the World Bank will contribute $250 million while the 36 states of the federation and Abuja will contribute $77 million.

He said the 560 benefitting local government areas in the country will contribute $40 million while the benefitting communities are expected to contribute $60 million either in cash or in kind.

Dr Jammeh said the programme will empower communities by giving them resources that will enhance their productivity in the fields. University graduates are to serve as facilitators in various communities across the country.

Speaking when he received the delegation, Deputy Governor of Zamfara state, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed Anka, said that the state government and the 14 local councils have already paid 84.3 million naira as their counterpart funding for the project.

Zamfara state coordinator of National Fadama III Development Project, Alhaji Aliyu Altine Shinkafi, said that the project is aimed at empowering the people of the state to take charge of their own development agenda through a 'Demand Driven Development Approach'.

He said that NFDP would provide Fadama User Groups (FUGs) with all the financial services and matching grants they needed for small-scale productive economic ventures. He added that more than 1,120 Fadama III users across the state would benefit from the programme.

He added that beneficiaries include farmers, fishermen, beekeepers, pastoralists, hunters and poultry farmers. Others are bull keepers, agro processors, widows, youths, handicapped persons and people living with HIV/AIDS, according to All Africa.