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FROM: PAUL ORUDE, BAUCHI
Oxfam Nigeria, Bauchi State office, on Monday, carried out a peaceful
rally and an agricultural show/exhibition of
agricultural commodities, within Bauchi metropolis, as parts of efforts to mark the 2017 World
Food Day and Grow Week.
The activities were organised under the Livelihoods and Nutritional
Empowerment (LINE) project being implemented by Oxfam in the state
with funding from the Global Affairs Canada (GAG).
The participants converged on the multipurpose sports complex along
the Murtala Mohammed Road, opposite the popular Wunti Market at
about 9:00 am, before moving through the streets, with the rally
ending at the BSADP premises where an agricultural show and
exhibition of agricultural commodities was carried out later in the
day to mark the Day.
Speaking at the BSADP venue of the event, Dr. Francis Saayinzat, the
Project Team Leader, Oxfam LINE Project, Bauchi State, explained that
the rally was to mobilise the general public and create great
awareness about the World Food Day.
Saayinzat said the match through streets in Bauchi was also to
sensitise the people in Bauchi on the need for all stakeholders to
strategise actions and commitments against HUNGER and poverty while
the exhibition, was to showcase and exhibit agricultural products,
abundant investment opportunities in the agriculture value chain and
skills endowed in the rural farmers.
Speaking on this year’s World Food Day with the theme: Change the
future of Migration, Invest in Food Security and Rural Development,
Saayinzat said that Oxfam was working with local partners and local
communities in more than 90 countries to overcome poverty and justice.
He explained that the LINE Project in Bauchi State is a 60-month
initiative implemented by Oxfam to promote market based
agriculture-driven economic growth and improve living conditions for
10, 000 rural farming households, 60 per cent of who are women.
“It is being implemented in the six local government areas of Gamawa,
Shira, Darazo, Ningi, Alkaleri and Tafawa Balewa,” he said, adding
that LINE focuses on value chains nmely maize, sorghum, saseme, diary
and meat (beef, mutton and goat).
He said that the project was expected to increase yields in selected
livestock and crop value chains for 10, 000 rural farmer households,
improve agricultural business-enabling environment as well as improve
nutrition for vulnerable farmer households, especially women and
children.
He said it was strengthening the capacity of key local partners,
through improving their skills in value chain interventions and
institutional capacities, analytical and lobbying, advocacy skills and
capacity in monitoring, evaluation and learning system to document
impacts.
“World Food Day was a day of action against hunger. On October 16,
people around the world come to together to declare their commitment
to eradicate hunger in our life time. It was first established in
1979, and today it has been observed in almost every country by
millions of people,” he said.
He observed that in Bauchi State, although 85 per cent of the
population are agrarian, the budget allocation to agriculture over the
years has not been more than seven per cent.
“This contributes to making agriculture unattractive especially to the
youths,” he observed “Again, women constitutes over 60 per cent of the
agricultural work force, adding that with the intervention of LINE
project, about 73 per cent of women are now involved in agriculture.
“Through LINE Project, 3, 165 farmers have been given farm inputs
worth N79 million and the project hopes to provide inputs to an
additional 7, 000 households. The beneficiaries have gone through
trainings on modern farm technologies as well as improved nutritional
options,” Saayinzat said.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State ministry of
Agriculture Rural Development, Dr. Bala Musa Lushi, commended the Oxfam
LINE Project being implemented in the state and expressed optimism
that it will improve farming activities in the state and address food
security.
