IGO editing: Nasarawa lauds UNDP for empowering 1, 200 IDPs

Nasarawa State Government has lauded the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for empowering 1, 200 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Awe and Keana local government areas.

Mrs Munira Abdullahi, Special Adviser to Gov. Abdullahi Sule on Non-Governmental Organizations and Development Partners, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lafia.

According to the special adviser, UNDP has trained 800 internally-displaced farmers from Ribi and Jangwa communities of Awe LGA, and Giza and Kadarko in Keana LGA. She said that the farmers were trained in modern farming techniques so that they could embark on dry season farming.

Abdullahi told NAN that additional 400 farmers were being profiled and would soon be trained by the UNDP.

“Three hundred farmers each from Jangwa and Ribi communities of Awe LGA, and Giza and Kadarko in Keana LGA, whose means of livelihood were affected during a crisis were targeted to benefit from the gesture.

“Over 10, 000 family members were expected to benefit indirectly from the positive impacts of the gesture at the end of the programme,” she said.

Abdullahi added that the state government had provided 400 hectares of land in the benefitting communities for dry season farming by the trained IDPs.

She said that the state government provided land for the project while the UNDP provided inputs and some other resources.

The special adviser said that the government would work with genuine organisations toward improving living standards of the residents.