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EU, Oxfam partner Kebbi, Adamawa states against desertification, poverty

By Emmanuel Badejo
30 May 2016   |   1:38 am
The European Union and Oxfam Great Britain have entered into partnership with two states in the Northern Nigeria to fight desertification, poverty and other related issues in the states.

Oxfam

The European Union and Oxfam Great Britain have entered into partnership with two states in the Northern Nigeria to fight desertification, poverty and other related issues in the states.

This partnership came to the fore last week when EU and Oxfam paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu in Birnin Kebbi.

During the parley, Bagudu pledged his government’s support to partnership, adding he would do all that are necessary to ensure that the step by all development agencies and international non-governmental organisation to fight poverty among the people were sustainable in the state.

The Oxfam team led by the Head of Oxfam Great Britain/Head of Programms, Constant Tchona was on an exploratory visit to the proposed project intervention Local Government Areas to launch the activities of a new livelihood project in the state.

The new project, an 11million Euro (Pro resilience Action) is funded by European Union with Oxfam Great Britain co-financing to support food security and resilience of most vulnerable people in Kebbi and Adamawa States in Northern Nigeria for 4 years.

Governor Bagudu, who expressed gratitude to Oxfam for chosing his state for the project said that if the project is properly implemented as proposed, it will go a long way to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable people in the state while contributing to the agricultural transformation drive embarked upon by the state government.

“Our government is particularly interested in transiting agriculture from occupation of inheritance to occupation of choice. I therefore canvass for a strategic empowerment of our women in agro-processing as a key component of the new project, said the Governor”

The leader of the Oxfam delegation, Constant Tchona, while briefing the Governor, said the project aimed at improving the food security, nutrition and resilience of vulnerable households in disaster and conflict affected communities in Kebbi and Adamawa States of Northern Nigeria. The Project aims to benefit 35,000 people of which 50 percent will be women, through building the capacity of 700 farmer groups and 700 savings groups in 7 Local Government Areas (3 in Kebbi and 4 in Adamawa States).

According to Tchona, the project will establish 70 farm field schools to transfer farming techniques to farmers, plant 500,000 trees to combat desertification and climate change, establish 1400 village savings and loan groups to facilitate access to flexible financing services.

It is also to establish 700 cereal banks to promote community based food reserves, implement/establish cash transfer and cash for work of 12,000 households to promote rapid improvements in the lives of the vulnerable people., promote access of farmers to agricultural inputs such as drought tolerant seeds (175,000Kg) among others.

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