No fewer than 200 farmers in Nasarawa State have benefitted from the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) homegrown poultry scheme.
NALDA explained that the scheme is aimed to empower women and youth in agribusiness and boost their income and livelihood through sustainable agriculture while partnering with traditional leaders to reach genuine grassroots farmers.
Before the distribution, NALDA team led by the Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Head of Engineering , Olusegun Owolabi, briefed the Emir of Lafia and the Chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Muhammed (Rtd) alongside other traditional leaders in the state.
Owolabi said the project is a revolving one and the sustainability and continuity would be subject to beneficiary’s commitment.
Also, he stated 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.
He urged the beneficiaries to pay attention to the training and guidance on how to handle the birds for maximum turnover.
The beneficiaries who were drawn 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 start up packages.
Each beneficiary got a 3 tier bird cage, 25 birds and 3 bags of feed that was enough to feed the birds till maturity.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional leaders, the Emir of Lafia and the chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs Justice Sidi Muhammed (Rtd) appreciated NALDA for trusting and believing in the traditional institution to help facilitate and execute the project.
According to Muhammed, the monarchs leaders in the state would work with the NALDA team to ensure the success of the project in the state.
He said: “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.
“On behalf of the traditional rulers in the state, I want to say that we’ll do our best to justify this choice that you have made.”
He added that Nasarawa State needs more of such intervention while asking NALDA to beam its search light on the state as an agricultural hub.
A beneficiary, Hajara Umar, from Awe Local Government Area, 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 is of huge help to her as she can sell and restock to sustain the business.
So far, NALDA has carried out the Home Grown Poultry Programme in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos State in South West Nigeria and now Nasarawa State in North Central Nigeria.
The programme is expected to be carried out in more states across the country soon.