FADAMA III: 5,320 households in Yobe to benefit from programme

The World Bank-assisted FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) programme has pledged to support 5,320 households in Yobe under the North East Food Security and Livelihood Support (NEFSLS) project.

Alhaji Musa Garba, the State Project Coordinator of FADAMA AF programme, made the pledge while fielding questions from newsmen in Damaturu on Wednesday.

Garba said that the project was designed to assist vulnerable persons, especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), to recover their means of livelihood.

The coordinator said that the support was in four components — irrigation, livestock farming, poultry and fish farming.

Garba said about 2,000 households had benefitted from the project.

“We are on the verge of reaching out to another 1,080 households next week.

“The programme provides the beneficiaries with water pump machines, seeds, sprayers, fertiliser and herbicides for irrigation farming.

“We also supported livestock farmers with a set of three sheep and two rams or four female goats with one male goat,’’ he said.

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He also said that the beneficiaries of the fish farming component of the scheme were supported with containers, fingerlings and feeds, while those who engaged in poultry farming were given birds and poultry feeds.

Besides, Garba said that the beneficiaries were also supported with food items to serve as security for the livelihood projects.

“The beneficiaries were given food support so that they do not sell off the materials to buy food,’’ he said.

Garba said that the project had also provided some infrastructural facilities in some communities, based on their requests for urgent intervention.

He said that market stalls were constructed in Bumsa, Gujba and Babbangida, while drainages and access roads were constructed in Malam Matari, Piri, Ngalda, Nguru, Giedam, Jakusko and Gashua, among others.

“This is in addition to the grain processing centre provided in Buni Gari for rice,’’ he added.

Garba said that the NEFSLS projects were designed to provide the beneficiaries with realistic and sustainable means of livelihood.

He said that the project would expand its coverage to accommodate more households next year.