The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has allocated a $78 million training grant to support food security in Nigeria by empowering 150 farmers in Bauchi State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This information was disclosed by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs. Massandje Toure-Litse, at the launch of a poultry workshop for beneficiaries of the grant in the Orozo area of Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the beneficiaries of the ECOWAS grant are farmers of the Community Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (COMAFAS).
Toure-Litse revealed that the grant will enhance the capacity of young people to engage in agriculture value chains and food production.
Details of the ECOWAS grant in the West African sub-region
She mentioned that the funds would be allocated to train 150 young individuals in the fields of poultry and fisheries, highlighting that these two subsectors play a vital role in driving the sub-region’s economy and fostering its development.
ECOWAS has developed comprehensive training modules and organized a training section for a total of 3,032 young individuals with 30 per cent being women and 70 per cent men, as stated by Toure-Litse.
She emphasized that enhancing agricultural productivity and competitiveness in West Africa has the potential to positively impact food security, economic development, and livelihoods in the sub-region.
Toure-Litse highlighted that the ECOWAS Agriculture Policy remains the guiding framework for all 15 member states, emphasizing its focus on agricultural productivity and competitiveness.
The program’s primary goal is to strengthen the capabilities of young people and female farmers, facilitating their access to resources, markets, and involvement in agribusiness.
She underscored the urgent need for intervention in gender participation in agriculture, youth employment, and various aspects of the food supply chain, including crops, forestry, livestock, and fisheries.
- “Products from crops, livestock and fisheries are the second largest when we talk about intra-community trade and interestingly, among these, livestock is the largest item.
- “It is anticipated that by 2030, at least 30 per cent of young people in the sub-region will be employed in the agriculture sector.
- “This will amount to a 75 per cent reduction in youth under-employment in rural areas,’’ she said.
Breakdown of how the 150 farmers in Bauchi and FCT will benefit from the $78m ECOWAS grant
Dr Austine Maduka, Founder/President of COMAFAS, explained that the training organized in partnership with ECOWAS aims to educate young farmers on effective strategies for starting and managing production.
He emphasized that the partnership will play a crucial role in ensuring the availability of meat and other food products while equipping individuals with relevant skills to implement sustainable poverty reduction strategies.
Notably, out of the 150 beneficiaries, 75 will receive training in poultry farming in the FCT, while the remaining 75 will be trained in fish farming in Bauchi.
The beneficiaries in the FCT have received initial support in the form of 50 birds each, along with bags of poultry feeds and necessary medications to kickstart their endeavours.
Agribusiness industrial revolution is to be of global examination and rigorous circulation of money into farming system in other to promote operation feed the nation.This is program that was saturated during the military era of former president Olusegun Obasanjo tagged ‘Operation feed the nation’ where you find most of the agricultural products of Nigeria selling faster everywhere in Nigeria and also outside the country like Saudi Arabia.He also continue the project while he was the civilian president as well by coordinating the agricultural products of Nigeria to be of high rating in the world such as poultry product like chicken, turkey eggs et.cetera and also the skin and hides of animals that are required for making shoes,bags, and leather to manufacture chairs as well.FADAMA project was designed to enhance the production of rice in the country whereby the total eradication of flood and erosion we be minimal by using irrigation method of farming across the country.Food Agricultural Organization and world Bank project are executed on yearly basis to encourage food for the whole universe, my advice is that the present system of government should find means to unique the widespread of farming system to be of certainty.
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