About 200 youth and women from Nasarawa State have benefited from the National Agricultural Land Development Authority’s (NALDA) Home Grown Poultry Programme.
Selected from various local governments in the state, the beneficiaries gathered at the Emir’s Palace in Lafia, the state capital, to receive free feeds, cages, and birds as start-up packages.
Each beneficiary received a 3-tier bird cage, 25 birds, and 3 bags of feed, sufficient to sustain the birds until maturity.
The initiative was designed to empower women and youth in agribusiness, boost their incomes, and improve livelihoods through sustainable agriculture.
Before the distribution, NALDA’s team briefed the Emir of Lafia, the chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs Justice Sidi Muhammed (Rtd), and other traditional leaders in the state on the goal of the initiative.
The Executive Secretary of NALDA, represented by Engineer Olusegun Owolabi, emphasized the revolving nature of the project, stressing that its continuity depends on the beneficiaries’ commitment.
Engineer Owolabi highlighted the project’s potential to reduce the importation of chicken, thereby conserving foreign exchange and creating employment opportunities.
He urged the recipients to pay close attention to training and guidance on maximizing poultry production.
Appreciating NALDA’s reliance on the traditional institution to implement the program, the Emir of Lafia and the chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs expressed their commitment to the project’s success. They emphasized the need for more interventions in Nasarawa State, an agriculture-focused region.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hajara Umar and Jamila Haruna from Awe and Akwanga Local Government Areas respectively, lauded the interventions’ impact on their poultry businesses by addressing the high cost of feed and enabling them to sustain their operations.
NALDA has already implemented the Home Grown Poultry Programme in Abuja, Lagos, and now Nasarawa State, with plans for expansion to other states across the country.
