Mercy Corps to salvage 90,000 North East households from poverty

Mercy Corps, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded humanitarian organisation, has said it is rescuing over 90,000 households from poverty in the North East of Nigeria.

Mercy Corps’ Deputy Chief of Party in Nigeria, Malam Farouk Kurana, stated this in Gombe when the organisation paid a courtesy call on Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.

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Malam Kurana said the programme tagged: “Rural Resilience Activity Project”, was a five-year funded programme being implemented by a consortium led by Mercy Corps with support from the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) and Save the Children International.

He said the project would facilitate economic recovery and growth in vulnerable conflict affected areas in the region and that it “will ensure long-term improvement to markets that will sustainably move over 90,000 households in the zone from abject poverty.”

Kurawa added that the intervention would focus attention on women and youths with innovative ideas to realise their potentials through linkage with banks to access single-digit interest loans.

The deputy chief of party explained that the rural resilience project would expand opportunities for women and youths from four states: Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe, to engage in marketable vocational skills and access mentorship.

Gov. Yahaya commended the organisation for choosing Gombe as the zonal headquarters of the project and assured of adequate security for its staff and facilities.