The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has begun the distribution of 2,500 broiler birds, feeds and cages to 103 beneficiaries in Lagos.
The two-day event was designed to support President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” under the NALDA Home Grown Poultry Empowerment Scheme.
The distribution exercise at Ijaiye Housing Estate Agege, Lagos, encompasses capacity building, provision of cage, birds and feeds.
Chief Executive Officer NALDA, Abuja, Prince Paul Ikonne, represented by Engineer Olusegun Owolabi, Head of Engineering Department NALDA, said the aim of the empowerment scheme was to engage farmers, improve food security, reduce importation of frozen chicken to save foreign exchange.
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“It is about teaching people how to bake cake and not just to share cake; the birds are three weeks plus old and well vaccinated. All it requires is just the remaining two to three weeks with the feeds available and the birds will be ready for sale.
“We are expecting you to sell your birds and to reinvest the money and we will be motoring them,” he stated.
Speaking on the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries, he stated that the beneficiaries were drawn from the “Home grown poultry empowerment scheme” under the Youth and women empowerment program.
“We picked these beneficiaries or states at random, ensuring that we cover the six geopolitical zones, so we are doing it in phases.
“For instance, we have done Rabbitry program in Oyo and Cross River states, we have done Poultry program in Abuja and we are to do it in Abia and Cross river states respectively, we have our laid-out schedule,” he explained.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that as part of the initiative, each beneficiary got a battery cage, three bags of grain (one starter and two finishers), and 24 broiler chicks.
The birds would be raised in the houses of the shortlisted recipients, who were chosen from 15 local government areas in Lagos State, according to Mr. Ibrahim Babalola, the Lagos State Administrator for NALDA.
“We have gone to their various homes to see if they can accommodate it and have the capacity to rear the birds.
“We also have our farmers who monitor them, have group leaders, we form them in cluster groups so that we can monitor what they are doing.
“So, at every given time, we know how they are doing and who is actually participating well. This means that whoever has done well will get the continuity of the programme and the continuity will depend on how the farmers take care of the birds. Whoever does well will have his or her birds increased to 48 in the next circle,” he explained.
Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, some of the beneficiaries praised the federal government for the scheme.
Mr Taiwo Ajayi thanked the government and pledged to work harder to succeed in the business in order to be given another chance.
“This programme will have a significant impact on the lives of a great number of people who, due to the state of the economy, are not really doing anything right now.
“Many chicken farmers are closing their doors due to the frightening price of feed, but with empowerment, we can take care of ourselves.
“I will passionately take care of those birds and ensure that they are safe, so at the end of the day, I will make more money,” he stated.
Miss Grace Oladele said she would be able to overcome the nation’s harsh economic situation with the scheme.
“I am pleased to be among those who will benefit from empowerment today. I’m overjoyed by what the federal government is providing for us right now. All I want to do is beg the government to give the project more oversight and capacity building so that it can succeed,” she stated.
