NALDA Intervention Empowers 200 Nasarawa Indigenes in Poultry

James Emejo in Abuja 

Over 200 youths and women in Nasarawa State, North-central Nigeria, have benefitted from the National Agricultural Land Development Authority’s (NALDA) Home Grown Poultry Programme.

The scheme aims to empower women and youths in agribusiness and boost their incomes and livelihood through sustainable agriculture while partnering with traditional leaders to reach genuine grassroots farmers.

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.

In his remark, the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, said the project was a revolving scheme, adding that its sustainability and continuity would be subject to beneficiary’s commitment.

Represented by the Head, Engineering, NALDA, Mr. Olusegun Owolabi, he said that the project would go a long way in curbing the importation of chicken into the country and also help save foreign exchange.

Ikonne said: “We need to take over the business and ensure that we 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 also urged the beneficiaries to pay attention to the training and guidance on how to handle the birds for maximum turnover.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional leaders present, the Emir of Lafia/Chairman,  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 him, the traditional 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 the state needed more of such interventions, and urged the authority to beam its search light on the state.

One of the beneficiaries, Hajara Umar, from Awe Local Government Area of the state, who could not hide her excitement, said the intervention would go a long in boosting her poultry business, particularly in the area of feed.

So far, NALDA has implemented the Home Grown Poultry Programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Nasarawa.

The programme is expected to be carried out in more states across the country soon.

Each beneficiary got a three tier bird cage, 25 birds and three bags of feed that was enough to feed the birds till maturity.