By Khalid Idris Doya
The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation has distributed 6,000 5-Week old Noilers, 300 bags of feed as well as 30,000 grams multivitamin to 300 women in Bauchi state to support sustainable poultry farming and to boost their economic status.
Speaking during the distribution ceremony yesterday, the general manager of British American Tobacco Nigeria foundation, Oludare Odusanya, said the initiative is to foster independence, resilience, and economic empowerment within Poultry farmers.
He said the Foundation since its inception in 2002 has supported the Federal and State Governments in agricultural development programmes and has invested over 2 billion naira in supporting rural smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
Odusanya who was represented by Engr. Sadiq Maina Waziri, said so far over 1.3 million have benefited from the foundation with the exception to double that in the next 10 years through increased support to smallholder farmers across the 36 states and the FCT.
“We understand the challenges our community faces, and that is why we are dedicated to investing in initiatives that make a real and lasting impact. Our commitment extends beyond this initial distribution, as we will also provide ongoing support, sensitization and resources to ensure the success and sustainability of this project,” he said.
On his part, the Bauchi state commissioner of agriculture Prof. Simon Madugu Yalams, commended the British American foundation for supporting vulnerable women in the state.
Simon Madugu noted that the state government had introduced various Agricultural policies and programs geared towards achieving food security.
According to him “We believe that by investing in our community, particularly in the hands of resilient and enterprising women, we are sowing the seeds for a brighter, more prosperous future in Bauchi State.”
Yalams said through the project, each vulnerable woman received 20 noiler birds, fifty kg of vital feed and essential multivitamin aimed to support women and rural livelihoods in the state.
In a remark the overseeing program manager of BSADP Idris Gambo charged the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the Noila birds to enable others to benefit.
