VSF supports 1,000 Borno IDP farmers to restore livelihoods, others

The Victims Support Fund (VSF) has distributed agricultural inputs to 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) farmers to restore livelihoods in Borno.

The targeted IDPs were smallholder farmers that were affected in the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

While distributing the farm inputs at the weekend at Shani, the Executive Director of the fund, Prof. Nana Tanko, disclosed that “This gesture was aimed at supporting smallholder farmers in conflict-affected communities of Northeast and other parts of Nigeria.”

According to her, the distributed inputs included NPK liquid fertilizer, improved seeds, as well as knapsack sprayers to prevent pre and post-harvest losses.

She said the distributed inputs and equipment would assist the IDP farmers to resume agricultural activities to enhance food production for self-sufficiency.

“We’re targeting 3,000 IDP farmers in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Niger states under our agriculture support programme,” she said. “The Fund has implemented several interventions to support victims of insurgency.”

Other areas of interventions included livelihood support and women’s economic empowerment, provisions of hospital equipment, educational and psychosocial support services to the affected children.

Governor Babagana Zulum said that the distributed inputs would provide succour to farmers affected by the insurgency.

Zulum, who was represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Bukar Talba, said the gesture would complement government efforts in resuscitating the agricultural sector that had been dormant because of insecurity.