By; SAMSON YAKI, Lafia
A total of 6,600 small holder farmers in Nasarawa State are to benefit from a ten-year agricultural project.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Non-Governmental Organizations and Development Partners, Munirat Abdullahi stated this during the first phase validation exercise and awareness campaign held respectively at Lafia, Doma and Akwanga local government areas of the state.
The project is in collaboration with African Union Development Agency (AUDA), New partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Federal and State Governments.
The project tagged, “Towards Achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” of United Nations in the thirteen Local Government Areas of the state had lafia, Doma and Akwanga as pilot local government areas.
The project is also aimed at innovative strengthening of small holder farmers capabilities towards productive land restoration amid COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
According to the Special Adviser, the project is targeted towards solving Africa’s problems by Africans.
Abdullahi who noted that eighteen thousand hectares of land has been earmarked for the project, equally highlighted other benefits of the project not to only small holder farmers, but Nasarawa State in general.
“For dry seasoning farming, we are looking at providing boreholes, for climate safety and for sustainable farming, we looking at using solar panel and provision of rural roads. Some of project’s objectives are poverty alleviation. We will provide them with farming inputs,” she added.
Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr Naphtali Jarumi Dachor stressed the need for farmers to be sincere during the process, saying that it is targeted at boosting maize, rice and sesame seed production.
On his part, National President of the Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAP), Mr. Joshua Jonathan commended the Special Adviser to the Governor for having farmers at heart, saying, they will take advantage of the project to enhance their activities.
In a remark, Programme Manager of Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), Mr. Alanana Emmanuel represented by Director of Extension Services, Mrs. Grace Joseph Edeh, tasked farmers to redouble their efforts to ensure the success of the project.
Representatives of farmers from Lafia, Doma and Akwanga Local Government Areas among other youths and women groups pledged to put in their best to ensure success as they commended the Special Adviser for working towards changing the narrative in the agricultural sector.
