The Cross River State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) and the Agricultural and Loan Board (ALB) are exploring stronger collaboration to link community infrastructure with agricultural financing and expand economic opportunities for farmers and other beneficiaries across the state.
The move followed a recent courtesy visit by the Chairman of the Agricultural and Loan Board and former Chairman of the CSDA Board, Sir Toni Ikpeme, to the Agency in Calabar, where both institutions discussed areas of mutual interest.
Ikpeme, who was received by the CSDA Board Chairman, High Chief Cyril Anthony Asuquo, and members of the management team, stressed the need for closer coordination between agricultural programmes and existing community infrastructure.
He said beneficiaries of agricultural programmes could maximise the use of facilities provided through CSDA interventions to support farming and other economic activities, adding that stronger coordination would improve the sustainability and impact of development investments at the grassroots.
During the engagement, the CSDA management presented the Agency’s mandate and Community-Driven Development (CDD) model, which places communities at the centre of identifying and prioritising their most pressing development needs.
Under the model, the Agency facilitates interventions in critical areas including education, healthcare, water and sanitation, while encouraging community participation, ownership and sustainability of projects.
Reflecting on his tenure as Chairman of the CSDA Board, Ikpeme commended the Agency’s workforce for its professionalism, commitment and dedication to delivering development interventions that positively impact communities across the state.
He also identified Calabar Bayside and Eniong Abatim communities as areas where additional development needs could be assessed, urging the CSDA to engage residents to identify priority needs and determine appropriate interventions.
Ikpeme further commended the agricultural transformation efforts of the Cross River State Government under Governor Bassey Edet Otu, noting their potential to boost food security and create economic opportunities across the state.
Responding, Asuquo welcomed the visit and expressed optimism that Ikpeme’s current position at the Agricultural and Loan Board would provide a platform for both institutions to develop practical areas of collaboration, particularly in connecting beneficiaries with agricultural grants, loans and credit facilities.
He said greater synergy between the agencies would enable communities and beneficiaries to benefit from their respective programmes and mandates, while strengthening the connection between social infrastructure, agricultural production and livelihood development.
Both institutions subsequently expressed readiness to identify practical areas of partnership that would benefit communities, farmers and other beneficiaries, with the proposed collaboration expected to support food security, improve livelihoods and advance grassroots development across Cross River State.
By Iloke Egbe
