URUGWIRO VILLAGE - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) boss, Kanayo F. Nwanze, yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Kagame at Urugwiro Village.

While speaking to Journalists after meeting, Nwanze said that he briefed the President on various developmental issues, including starting up a multi-million dollar project in the country.

"As you may know, IFAD has worked in Rwanda since 1981 and has in those years financed 13 rural development programmes worth a total of $149.9 million.  Eight of these projects are complete and five are still ongoing. We are looking forward to open a $ 40 million project here next year,” he said.

Nwanze added that the President was happy with the work his organisation was doing in Rwanda.

"I talked to President Kagame about what we have been doing here in terms of agriculture, irrigation, crop production, women empowerment and other projects and he was gratified by our flexibility and the way we are addressing issues that are directly linked to development,” he said.

Nwanze, who was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Agnes Kalibata, said that he and Kagame were in agreement that the empowerment of girls and women was the way forward for the development of a larger society.

Kalibata also told journalists that IFAD is an instrumental backer of the nation’s agricultural sector.

"IFAD has been supporting our agriculture sector for years through funding irrigation schemes, coffee and tea growing, and other projects aimed at food security. The government works with them in so many areas that are aimed at empowering the locals to improve, especially in the farming sector,” she said.

On Monday, Finance Minister John Rwangombwa and Nwanze signed an agreement which will see IFAD provide an additional $28m to the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PAPSTA) and Kirehe Community-based Watershed Management Project (KWAMP).

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