A Canadian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mennonites Economic Development Associates (MENA) is set to spend $100 million Canadian dollars on various interventions tagged “Nigeria Way Project.”
The NGO’s president, Allan Sauder disclosed this yesterday in Bauchi when he paid a courtesy call to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
He said that the Canadian government donated the money for the NGO to carry out intervention in the areas of agriculture, health, women empowerment and others.
Sauder said 20,000 beneficiaries were targeted across seven local government areas of the state in the pilot project which would be expanded later.
The seven local government areas are; Bauchi, Dass, Toro, Ganjuwa, Warji, Katagum and Jama’are.
Responding, Governor Mohammed Abubakar commended the NGO for its various interventions in the state.
He the state government would give maximum support for the NGO and other development partners for the benefit of people of the state especially women.
It could be recalled that the NGO had, as part of its intervention, embarked on training of women farmers on Soya beans farming, storage and value addition.
MEDA Business Development Officer, Stephanie Wealth-Ekanem said that the Nigeria Way Project was aimed at empowering women to improve their economic status.
She said the MEDA Nigeria WAY project was a five years project funded by Global Affairs Canada to improve the business capacity and environment of 16,000 women and youth in Bauchi state.
Meanwhile, Professor Nasiru Murtala from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) durin his presenation at a capacity building training organised for women farmers, said that the participants were being taught about new ways in Soya beans value chain for maximum economic gains.
Prof Murtala said the farmers must be provided with economic linkages like markets for their products and access to soft loans especially consumer loans to be given to farmers immediately after harvest.
He said that, consumer loans would help the farmers meet their immediate needs to avoid selling their harvested products at a giveaway price.
On her part, a woman farmer participant, Abu Yakubu said that their association with over 100 women farmers was actively involved in Soya beans farming.
She disclosed that with the assistance being given to them, they were able to improve their yields over the years which improved their output and maximise their profits.
She said that the workshop had availed her with new ways of harvesting and processing of Soya beans which would help a lot in improving their economic status by reducing wastages.
Another participant, Habiba Ali commended MEDA for helping them to fully understand value addition in the Soya beans value chain.
Three hundred women, 100 each from Bauchi, Dass and Toro local governments participated in the capacity building training.
