By joshua Food security: Tinubu’s wife provides modern agricultural equipments, inputs, cash to farmers in Ebonyi
By Agbo Amuche, Abakaliki
The Wife of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has through her renewed hope initiative (RHI) provided modern agricultural equipments, inputs and cash to various group of farmers including women in agriculture intiative, young farmers club which made up of primary and secondary school students, every home a garden campaign and youths in agriculture and empowerment in Ebonyi State in order to ensure food sufficiency across the Country.
The wife of the president represented by the first lady of Ebonyi State Chief (Mrs) Mary Maudline Nwifuru during the flag off of the exercise at old government house Abakaliki, said the intiative was to boost economic empowerement and sustainable agriculture in the Country.
She noted that agriculture remains a backbone of the Nations economy and a vital source of sustenance for families, adding that renewed hope agricultural support program was a call to action, to empower women, inspired youths and transform every home to be a source of food security and income.
“Today marks a new dawn for agriculture in Ebonyi State. The Renewed Hope Agricultural Support Program is a call to action, to empower our women, inspire our youth, and transform every home into a source of food security and income”
She hinted that RHI, BERWO foundation and Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture and natural resources would collaborate towards ensuring proper monitoring, implementation and sustainance of the intiative.
She commended the state ministry of Agriculture led by Princess Nkechinyere Inyiok, BERWO team and everyone who made sure that the event went successful while urging all the beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity judiciously by embracing innovation and contribute their quota to the growth of agriculture, economic prosperity and food security in the State and the Country at large.
“The Renewed Hope Agriculture Support Program represents a beacon of hope for women in agriculture, young farmers, families aspiring for self-sufficiency”
“BERWO Foundation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Ebonyi State are committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive through agriculture”
In her address, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and natural resources Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku disclosed that the programme started last year and as such so many women and youths have already been trained and empowered into various aspects of modern farming, stating that the State has witnessed a remarkable progress in the agricultural sector.
She extolled Tinubu’s wife for her outstanding commitment to agricultural development in the Country and for stepping down her renewed hope intiative (RHI) to Ebonyi State, emphasizing that the programme would lift women out of total finacial dependency.
The Coordinator of FADAMA in Ebonyi State Chief Sunday Ituma said that the importance of agriculture cannot be overemphaized as it employs over 70 percent population. “Agriculture contributes alot in the National and State economy and this is why His Execelleny Bldr Francis Nwifuru is talking about pratical agriculture and we are working in a very close collaboration with His Execelleny to be able to achieve his agriculture agenda”
“The program is empowering the farmers supporting them with agricultural inputs, equipments, training and capacity building. So to a very large extent the program has recorded huge success” he said.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries includes Veronica Elem, Nwibo Chineye applauded the benefactor for the interventions assuring to utilize the golden opportunity wisely.
Items made available to the farmers included rice milling machines, wheel barrows, knapsack sprayers, fertilizer, yam seedlings, rice threshers, cassava grinding machine, chicken feed, solar powered pumps, watering can, solar irrigation pumps, bags of organic fertilizers among others.
The event featured lectures on rice and cassava best practices, back yard farming and bag yam and potato technology.