Odobgo Farmers ('Efo (vegetable) Women') in Ibadan celebrate one year of RUAF intervention
A group of women vegetable farmers in the Odogbo barracks in Ibadan (popularly known as ‘Efo Women’) has commemorated one year anniversary of RUAF intervention in their farming community. They celebrated efo (vegetable) as a viable and productive business Enterprise. In 2008 a RUAF-CFF pilot project was targeted to the vegetable farmers at Odogbo barracks, Ibadan. The farmers were taken through good agricultural practices which improved their productivity. They were also provided with wells to enhance access to irrigation water for their farming activities. The intervention had a positive impact in their lives as they testified. More women joined the group when they saw the changes in the lives of their colleagues. The RUAF-FStT (the current phase) is building on this initiative by facilitating access to better market for the vegetables.
The Efo Women group, Odogbo Barracks, Ibadan (Slogan: Efo women...Progress!)
June, 2009 RUAF-FSTT Local Partners Receive Training
As part of the implementation arrangements to build capacities of partners to ensure smooth and successful implementation of the new phase of the RUAF programme (From to Table project), RAUF Anglophone West Africa had held its 1st and 2nd regional training workshops for local partners from Accra (Ghana) and Ibadan (Nigeria). The training workshop, which was organized by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), took place on 12-18 of February 2009 at Shai Hills Hotel, Tema, and 1-6 June 2009 at Aburi, Ghana respectively.
Dec. 2008 Systematization Workshops Held in Ghana
As a follow-up to the RUAF-CFF sharing and systematization component, separate systematization workshops have been organized in all pilot cities namely Accra, Ibadan and Freetown. These workshops provided the platform for stakeholders to share and synthesize all the lessons learnt, experiences and adaptations made in each of the cities. This information will be documented and shared to serve as basis for recommendations for future practice.
Nov., 2008 Workshop to Promote Urban Peri-urban Agriculture in Ghana
In furtherance of its call to promote urban and peri-urban agriculture in Ghana and to contribute to food security and poverty reduction, RUAF-IWMI in collaboration with the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) has organized a 3-day workshop in Accra to sensitize Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors/ Planning Officers and District Directors of Agriculture from fourteen (14) selected metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs or local authorities) in Ghana on the importance of a strategic approach to urban and peri-urban agriculture in the context of local economic development and urban food security.
At the end of the workshop, a draft model guidelines for MMDAs for the promotion of UPA and strategic inputs for national advocacy and policy intervention were developed with assurance from participating MMDAS to promote urban and peri-urban agriculture in their various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies through the inclusion of UPA in their development plan and policies as well as bye-laws to develop and sustain urban and peri-urban agriculture in their localities.
Oct., 2008 Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Policy Seminar in Ibadan
As a follow-up to RUAF’s commitment to creating awareness among policy makers in participating cities, a policy seminar has been organized in Ibadan, Nigeria.
The main objective of the seminar was to take stock of all activities implemented so far under the Ibadan Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Project (IUPAP), update policy makers on current state of affairs and to plan implementation of the next phase of the RUAF urban agriculture programme.
Participants for the seminar included:
Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resources and Rural Development, High Chief Owolabi Owokulehin (Ekerin Olubadan) representing His Royal Highness, Oba Odugade Odulana, Olubadan of Ibadan land, Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Nigerian Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN),Inst. Of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T), etc.
May, 2008 Review of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Bye-laws on Agriculture
At the policy makers’ forum (facilitated by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and RUAF-IWMI), the Accra Working Group on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AWGUPA) presented the revised bye-laws on agriculture to policy makers and stakeholder institutions for their inputs to fine tune the document for final presentation to the Agric sub committee of the AMA for consideration and adoption.
Participants for the forum were drawn from stakeholder institutions in Accra and its surroundings. They included MoFA-AMA, MoFA-TMA, EPA, IWMI, University of Ghana, etc.
The subsequent adoption of the revised bye-laws is expected to boost the development and sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Accra.
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