 Nigeria, has unveiled a two-year women and youths agricultural project to strengthen food production, marketing practices and familial){kind=link}
An Irish charity organisation, Self Help Africa (SHA) Nigeria, has unveiled a two-year women and youths agricultural project to strengthen food production, marketing practices and familial nutrition in Sokoto state.
The Newsmen reports the project tagged ” Strengthening Food System to Promote Increased Value Chain, Employment Opportunities for Women and Youth ” supported by World Food Programme (WFP) and MasterCard foundation.
Unveiling the project on Thursday, the Director Women in Sokoto State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Hajia Hauwa’u Umar-Jabo, described the project at an integrated effort that would empower women and youths across the state.
Umar-Jabo,who represented the Commissioner, Hajia Hadiza Shagari, said the programme would surely argument state government efforts inline with smart points agenda of Gov. Ahmad Aliyu and assured maximum support to ensure desirable successes.
The State Team lead, Hajia Hajara Muhammad, said the project started in January this year and targeted 70 per cent women aged between 18 to 25 on farming and related marketing opportunities.
Muhammad noted that overall strategy was to revive best agricultural practices to attract more productive engagements in the implementation states of Sokoto and Zamfara states.
She explained that the project was designed to empower 25,000 women and youths in agricultural value-chains comprising capacity development in agriculture business and agric-financing.
According to her, other areas included promoting post harvest handling, promoting transformational women empowerment, available markets, public, private collaboration and networking strategies.
She said the targeted production were on horticulture, millet, sorghum, soybeans and groundnuts in Bidinga, Kware, Sokoto North, Wurno and Tambuwal local government areas.
In her address, the Country Director of SHA, Joy Aderele, called for more action on women empowerment and increase participation in leadership and decision-making roles in the society.
Aderele pointed out that several barriers that limit women’s participation in the country included weak gender mainstreaming in national and state policies, economic constraints, and deeply rooted cultural perceptions.
“There are gaps in the mainstreaming of gender in national and state policies, with weak implementation and insufficient enforcement mechanisms.
“Economic constraints, wage gaps, and limited funding opportunities also make it difficult for women to pursue required for leadership roles, ” she said.
She said the present projects aimed at strengthening the barriers and promote best practices that women can engages to pursue their dreams for improved livelihoods of Nigerians.
The Country Director explained much have been in the organization activities on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and other sectors conducted at different states in the federation.
SHA Head of Programme, Mr Shedrack Guusu, said the organization diversified to agriculture, working in partnership with federal and state governments alongside local partners to improve sustainable livelihoods among Nigerians.
Guusu noted that the mission to reduce hunger poverty, promote clean water, community based and market based approaches to ensure sustainability through supporting local enterprises.
Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki, who represented Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, cautioned against patronizing political farmers stressing that real farmers should be targeted to ensure meaningful engagement and productivity.
Speaking also, District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, called for concerted effort toward attitudinal change on youths as the was endowed with good natural and human resources for viable agricultural production.
Umar-Jabbi lamented that people were not engaging in productive activities as known in the past when leaders ensured policy direction for employment in agriculture which can combat insecurity and food insufficiency.
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