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In a significant stride towards alleviating poverty and strengthening food security in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has initiated a comprehensive training and empowerment program for 3,000 smallholder farmers across the South West and South-South regions. The program is designed to boost agricultural productivity through the introduction of modern technologies and practices.
The participants, encompassing poultry and crop farmers, were meticulously chosen by the State Ministries of Agriculture and subsequently confirmed by the Federal Ministry. They were then subjected to a rigorous training session conducted by twelve experts from Federal Universities’ Agriculture Faculties. The education focused on Good Agricultural Practices, with the aim of transitioning these farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.
Following the training, the farmers received crucial farm inputs such as knapsack sprayers, diverse seeds, organic fertilizers, herbicides, and feeds for poultry and fish farming. These resources are expected to significantly enhance their farm production. Professor Tajudeen Bameke emphasized the importance of adding value to agricultural products to increase profits and reduce the reliance on middlemen—a factor often leading to inflated food prices.
Conditional Cash Transfer and Program Reception
Besides the training and resources, the farmers will also benefit from a conditional cash transfer of fifteen thousand nairas post-empowerment, providing them with an immediate financial boost. The initiative has been met with widespread approval among the beneficiaries, who expressed gratitude to both the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The distribution of inputs was closely monitored by state officials from the State Ministry of Agriculture and State Agricultural Development Programmes, in conjunction with officers of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja. This careful oversight ensures the fair and effective implementation of this ambitious program.
With 88.4 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty—representing 12.9% of the global population in extreme poverty as of 2022—such initiatives are essential in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and uplifting the lives of smallholder farmers