(Sundiata Post) The National Agricultural Land Development Authority’s (NALDA) has empowered no fewer than 200 youths and women with poultry materials in Nasarawa State under the Home Grown Poultry Programme.
The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Paul Ikonne, communicated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Ikonne said the scheme was aimed at empowering women and youth in agribusiness and boost their incomes and livelihood through sustainable agriculture while partnering with traditional leaders to reach genuine grassroots farmers.
The beneficiaries, who were drown from the various local governments of the state, converged on the Emir’s Palace in Lafia, the state capital to receive free feeds, cages and birds as startup packages.
Each beneficiary got a three tier bird cage, 25 birds and three bags of feed that was enough to feed the birds till maturity.
Before the distribution, NALDA’s team briefed the Emir of Lafia and the chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs Justice Sidi Muhammed (retired) alongside other traditional leaders in the state.
Ikonne, who was represented by Engr. Olusegun Owolabi, Head Engineering, NALDA, said the project was a revolving one and the sustainability and continuity would be subject to beneficiary’s commitment.
He said that the project would go a long way in curbing the importation of chicken into the country and also help save foreign exchange.
“We need to take over the business and ensure that stop exporting jobs; for every product that we import, we have exported our employment and for every local thing we consume; we created employment for someone, somewhere in the country.
“NALDA is out to sustain the total ban on importation of frozen chicken for the poultry industry to expand, reduce unemployment and boost the country’s economy by empowering the individual to upscale their poultry production,” he said.
Ikonne urged the beneficiaries to pay attention to the training and guidance on how to handle the birds for maximum turnover.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional leaders present, Muhammed appreciated NALDA for trusting and believing in the traditional institution to help facilitate and execute the project.
According to him, the traditional leaders in the state will work with the NALDA team to ensure the success of the project in the state.
“ We thank you for finding the traditional institution in the state worthy, using us as the conduit pipe for translating this programme into reality, you have taken the right decision,” he said.
The traditional ruler said that state needed more of such intervention while asking NALDA to beam its search light in the state as the state is an Agricultural hub.
One of the beneficiaries, Hajara Umar from Awe Local Government Area of the state, who could not hide her excitement, said the intervention would go a long in boosting her poultry business, particularly in the area of feed as the price of feed in the open market was quite high.
Another beneficiary, Jamila Haruna from Akwanga Local GovernmentArea, said the intervention was of huge help to her as she could sell and restock to sustain the business.
NAN reports that NALDA has carried out the Home Grown Poultry Programme in FCT, Lagos State in South-West, and Nasarawa State in North-Central.
The programme is expected to be carried out in more states across the country soon.(NAN)
