James Emejo in Abuja
The Feminist Coalition, a women’s rights organisation focused on championing equality for women in Nigeria, has announced the continuation of its farming initiative to provide low-income women, a majority of whom are single mothers and widows, with resources to start a poultry business which would then provide both food and income for their families.
Founding member of the coalition, Laila Johnson-Salami, said the pilot programme was launched in June 2022 in collaboration with Amo Farms Sieberer Hatchery Limited, a Nigerian poultry company that created the Noiler Chicken.
She said at the start of the pilot, each beneficiary received 20 chicks – some for rearing for sale and others for consumption while using part of their revenue to purchase more Noiler chicks.
She explained that six months into the initiative, the beneficiaries are beginning to see profits from the sales of their chickens.
She explained that following the successes recorded, the coalition had decided to add more women to the programme.
Speaking on the collaboration with the hatchery, Salami said, “The Noiler Chicken is a dual-purpose chicken breed that produces four times more eggs and three times more meat than other chicken breeds native to Nigeria.
“Amo Farms developed this breed to address issues of infant and maternal mortality, food insecurity, and hunger, especially among women and children.”
She said, “With poverty and food insecurity on the rise in Nigeria, rearing Noilers can provide families with more stability.”
The co-founder of the Coalition, Damilola Odufuwa, said “Now more than ever, affordable, accessible food is important. The consequences are greatest for women and children, with many low-income mothers who are also primary caregivers, currently fighting to protect their kids from malnutrition.
“Based on the success of this pilot, over the next few years, the Feminist Coalition plans to empower more low-income women across Nigeria through several SME and farming projects.
