UGANDA STUDY TOUR TEAM VISITED NIGERIA TO UNDERSTUDY THE E-WALLET UNDER THE GROWTH ENHANCEMENT SUPPORT (GES) SCHEME INNOVATION BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Nigeria is the first country in the
world to implement the Growth
Enhancement Support (GES)
Scheme through which critical
agricultural inputs, such as
improved seeds, fertilizers
(inorganic & organic),
conditional/micronutrients, fish
and livestock feeds, fingerlings
and juveniles etc are being
distributed to the end user
farmers at their door steps
through a well-developed/
organized private sector
channels, using e-wallet
technology platform.

The global high recognition/
commendation accorded the
scheme now arising from its
laudable achievements, impact
and transparent mode of
operation, has led to
overwhelming passion, interest
and consequent willingness of
many African countries to come
and study the scheme in Nigeria
with the sole purpose of
adopting and integrating it into
their respective input
distribution/subsidy
programmes. As of today, three
countries in Africa namely
Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda
have come to study the GES
scheme. The team from Uganda
consisted of eleven senior
officials led by the Honourable
Minister of State for Agriculture,
Uganda.

The delegates were as follows:
(1) Ruth Nankabirwa: The
Honourable Minister of State for
Agriculture, Uganda as well as
the team leader
(2) Kasamba Mathias: A Member
of Parliament, Parliament of
Uganda.
(3) Bagure Aggrey
Henry:Chairman Board of
Directors, National Agricultural
Advisory Services
(4) Dr. Samuel Mugasi: Executive
Director, National Agricultural
Advisory Services
(5) Rose A. Alitema: Director,
National Agricultural Advisory
Services
(6) Ishmael M. Magina: Director,
National Agricultural Advisory
Services
(7) Paul Ukot-Ukello: Director,
National Agricultural Advisory
Services
(8) Muhoozi Tom: Member,
National Agricultural Advisory
Services
(9) Mulumba Evarist:
Agribusiness Officer, National
Agricultural Advisory Services
(10) Robert Kibirango: Director,
National Agricultural Advisory
Services
(11) Okaasai S.O.: Director of Crop
Resources, Ministry of
Agriculture, Uganda.

Objectives of the visit
 To learn the role of government
in farm input subsidy program
 To learn the processes which
help reduce the administrative
and logistics cost in subsidies
 To learn the experience of
different stakeholders in the
system
 To learn the monitoring and
criteria used to assess
authenticity of transaction before
government pays for the goods
and services
 To learn the evolution/capacity
of the private sector in
distributing the farm inputs
The team arrived on Monday
21stJuly 2014, 12.10pm local
time for a four day study tour
and was received at the Airport
by the representatives of the
Ministry.

They proceeded to the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture
Headquarters where they were
received officially by the
Honourable Minister of State for
Agriculture, Mrs. Asabe Asmau
Ahmed.The reception was
immediately followed by a
presentation by the Director,
Federal Fertilizer Department on
the GES scheme, the
developmental strategies and its
achievement so far.
The team was guided
throughout the study tour by the
GES Desk Officer Mr. I.A. Buba and
assisted by two ICT Officers (Mrs.
Ugonna-Onunkwo F. C. and Mrs.
Mimi Eduviere)
On the second day, the team
visited various GES stakeholders
where they interacted with each
stakeholder in the scheme as
follows:
• Cellulant Nigeria Ltd:the Chief
Participant Mr. Bolaji Akinboro
made a presentationon the part
the companyplays in creating a
computer based platform for the
GES scheme.
• Rural Development Department
of the Ministry of Agriculture:
they were receivedby the
Director Mr. Azeez M. O. who
intimated them on the processes
involved in registering farmers,
through the use of
questionnaire, OMR form and
now the NIMC Automated Bio
metric information card. The
visiting Minister of State for
Agriculture, Uganda responded
by appreciating the Director and
mentioned that they had already
commenced registration in
Uganda but were facing some
challenges with the real date of
birth of some elderly people
because there were no birth
registration records in Uganda in
the past.
• International Fertilizer
Development Center (IFDC): Mr.
Chinedu Ukeka who is
representing the organization as
a Supply Chain Managerput them
through on the impact of the
Token administrative platform
(TAP) in the GES Scheme.

Reference: FMARD