From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Executive Director of Global Youth Skills Acquisition and Poverty Eradication Organisation (GYSAPEO) Dr Emmanuel Chuks Ozegbe has said smallholder farmers have been cheated by politicians who disguise as farmers.
He stated this recently in Abuja during the inauguration of GYSAPEO new board members.
Ozegbe observed that about 95% of the products consumed in urban areas were produced in rural areas, adding that farmers should be given the necessary support to cultivate more crops.
He said the organisation would distribute seedlings to farmers in the next farming season, as part of its contribution to food security.
“Right from 2015, we have been empowering women and youth. Our organisation is into the development of women and youth and children.
“We are into training, evaluation, empowering and mentoring these women and youth. Next month we are having a project called prosperity assured economic initiative.
“Under this initiative there is what we call it ‘Grow Niger, Feed the World’. We are targeting small holder farmers.
“You know that smallholder farmers produce almost 95 % of what we eat. So, these people have vulnerable because government’s projects do not get to them.
“Before it gets to the grassroots it would have been hijacked. So, what we are doing is that we are targeting this smallholder farmers.
“We have over 25 agricultural cooperative societies. What we are trying to do is to train these people in new ways of farming.”
He continued: “Today, we are inaugurating our new board of trustees. The organisation is grassroots based and every four years we change the board.
“The ones that are not active step down for the ones that are active. So, we are here today to inaugurate the new board.”