Federal Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate with FAO, other development partners to improve food security in Northern Nigeria
March 27, 2017, Abuja- Farmers supported by FAO in northeast Nigeria are looking forward to a very good harvest, going by the amount and quality of crops some of them have so far gathered from their fields.
A Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at CBARDP (Community Based Agricultural and Rural Development Program), FAO implementing partner in Borno State, Salisu Bukar Mohammed Ngulde, says: “Most of the crops are grown by women who make up 40 per cent of the project. They have already started harvesting their crops from the dry season interventions and have food for their families for some time to come while they sell part of their produce to make some money. They are now able to get income, save feeding costs and have surplus in the home to take care of other basic needs for a few months. FAO is collaborating with the governments of Belgium, Ireland and Japan to support these farmers.”
He described the intervention as very successful, hoping that more funds would be made available to take care of the larger number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, female-headed households, youths and the host community who are in dire need of support.
Abba Mursi, one of the beneficiaries of the interventions, recounts how he fled his community in Bama after an attack two and half years ago and then took refuge in Gongulong Bulamari village in the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in Jere Local Government Area, some 75 kilometres away from Bama. “I fled from Bama on foot and left everything behind, everything.”
Mursi’s desire of returning to productive life was nurtured by FAO. His carrot plot is doing well, less than three months after he received seedlings and fertilizers support from FAO. “I got assistance of assorted seeds and fertilizers from FAO. I started farming with the seeds when they were distributed in January 2017. It is from the farm that I have harvested these fresh carrots you see. The fertilizer and seed helped me to carry out farming in the dry season. My group is also thankful for the wash borehole provided by FAO.” He is grateful to the Gongulong Bulamari people for accepting him and gave him access to a farmland where he hopes to eke out a living.
Mele Muktar has a similar story. Originally from Koshabe, in Mafa Local Government Area, over 50 kilometers away, he settled in Gongulong about two years ago. He has only been on the FAO-supported farm for one month. His seedling beds are doing well. He hopes to transfer them to the main site in days to come and is already looking to a good harvest. “What I received was a complete package from FAO. We get food support from a number of organizations but this agricultural assistance means everything to me,” he says.
As part of its dry season interventions in support to IDPs, returnees and vulnerable host families in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, FAO provided farmers with capacity-building and skills, vegetable seeds, fertilizers and irrigation support for the dry season.
Mursi and Muktar are some of the farmers who embraced the project with great enthusiasm and less than two months into the programme, the enthusiasm has started paying off. The farmers, mostly youths and women, are already looking to a good harvest. The early signs of a potentially good harvest are evident by the crisps and fresh carrots, huge cabbages and other vegetables being gathered from the fields.
Vegetable seedlings covering carrot, okra, amaranths, sorrel/roselle, onions, tomatoes, pepper, watermelon and cabbage were given to each farmer in a master kit for food security, nutrition and livelihoods as well incomes.
“FAO with partners’ support will provide the greatly desired livelihoods to IDPs, returnees and host communities where men, and especially women and youth, will be provided with food security, nutrition and livelihoods for both the dry and rainy seasons in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe on a sustainable basis to recovery from many years of hardship. We must all find durable and sustainable solutions and tackle the root courses of the crisis situation, especially that which affects livelihoods and incomes of the populations,” said Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.
The acting FAO Representative to Nigeria, Nourou Macki Tall, said: “Supporting vulnerable host communities, displaced populations and returnees in northeast Nigeria to resume their agriculture activities pave the way to durable solutions. Agriculture cannot be an afterthought. This is the starting point for the implementation of longer-term activities that contribute to strengthening the population’s resilience.”
Contact:
Emeka Anuforo
National Communication Officer
FAO Nigeria
Additional information is available online at:
www.fao.org/nigeria/en/