No fewer than 550 households affected by Boko Haram insurgency in Adamawa have benefited from animal husbandry training projects sponsored by the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) and Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI).
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the presentation of goats to women beneficiaries of the project at Nduku community in Mubi South LGA, the Executive Director, Centre for Social Change and Economic Development (CSCED), the implementing partner of the project, Alhaji Abubakar Mustafa, said the women beneficiaries were selected from five communities in Mubi South and Mubi North LGAs.
Some goats set for distribution
Abubakar said in Mubi South LG, the beneficiaries were from Nduku and Duvu communities, while in Mubi North the beneficiaries were from Betso, Mayo-Bani and Vimtim communities.
“They are part of numerous vulnerable women who are either internally displaced persons, returnees or host community members whose means of livelihood has been affected directly or indirectly by the activities of insurgency in the state,” Abubakar said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Dawaire Farms, another implementing partner, Dr Junaidu Maina, said each beneficiary would be provided with foundation stock of four goats (3 females and 1 male), startup feed, veterinary kit and conditional cash grant for three months.
“The targeted beneficiaries are 550 households corresponding to 3,850 individuals.
“Another reason for selecting goats is because they are short cycle livestock and can be reared within walking distance outside the protected perimeters of camps thus limiting the exposure of women and girls to potential sexual exploitation, abuses and other Gender Based Violence (SGBV),” Maina said.
Beneficiaries of goats loan in Adamawa
Also speaking, the Consultant for PEF/PCNI projects in Adamawa, Mr Terfa Gbande, said the gesture was in line with Federal Government passion in supporting the vulnerable ones in the society.
Gbande lauded the support and collaboration from the state, LGAs and benefitting communities, urging beneficiaries to make maximum use of the opportunity in picking up their lives once again.
The Adamawa Commissioner for Livestock and Aquaculture Development, Alhaji Usman Yahaya, lauded the development which he said was in line with Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri 11-points agenda.
Yahaya urged for more collaboration with his ministry in the planning and implementation of such programme.
In their respective remarks, the representative of Food And Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Mr Usman Palam; the representative of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Yusuf Ibbi; and the representative of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Malam Mohammed Buba, lauded the initiative and urged other corporate organisations to emulate them.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Mary Joel, thanked the government and all those involved in training them on animal husbandry.
She assured that they would reciprocate the gesture by making proper use of the opportunity to better their lives and that of their families.
