The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has empowered 100 women and youths in Adamawa State with livestock starter assets and inputs as part of Federal Government efforts to promote inclusive participation, enterprise development and sustainable livelihoods in the livestock sector.
The beneficiaries, comprising 50 females and 50 males, each received a heifer or young bull, alongside starter inputs including bags of concentrate feed, mineral salt lick and dewormers.
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Speaking at the empowerment programme in Adamawa State, the Minister of Livestock Development, Hon. Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the initiative was designed to bring more women and young people into the livestock value chain and provide them with the means to establish sustainable livestock enterprises.
Maiha said the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s livestock transformation agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with emphasis on engaging young people in productive ventures and creating opportunities for them to become small and medium-scale livestock producers.
He explained that the programme would go beyond the initial distribution of animals, noting that all beneficiaries had been properly documented, while their locations and registration details were captured to facilitate monitoring, extension services and access to animal health support.
According to him, continuous follow-up would ensure that the animals were properly managed and protected and allowed to attain reproductive age rather than being sold prematurely.
The Minister also disclosed plans to introduce artificial insemination for the beneficiary animals, particularly the heifers, to improve their genetic quality, reproductive performance and overall productivity.
He said the intervention would support different livestock enterprises, including cattle rearing, fattening and dairy production, enabling beneficiaries to expand their businesses and improve their livelihoods over time.
Maiha further announced that the programme would promote the “Passing the Gift” concept, whereby offspring produced by beneficiary animals would subsequently be transferred to other members of the community.
He said the approach would broaden the reach of the intervention, encourage community participation and create a sustainable cycle of empowerment.
The Minister also said the programme would establish an ecosystem around livestock production by encouraging young people to venture into commercial pasture cultivation.
He explained that livestock owners would be able to purchase pasture from young pasture farmers, creating additional employment and business opportunities while reducing overdependence on open grazing.
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Maiha disclosed that the Adamawa intervention represented the first tranche of a programme that would be replicated in other parts of the country.
He noted that a similar intervention had already been undertaken in Jigawa State, while plans were underway to extend the initiative to Jos and other locations.
The Minister said the ultimate objective was to develop beneficiaries into viable livestock entrepreneurs capable of contributing to food security, employment generation, economic growth and the transformation of Nigeria’s livestock sector.
In his welcome remarks, the Adamawa State Coordinator, Dr. Hassan W. Danbaki, represented by Mr. Sunday, Senior Animal Health and Husbandry Technology, said the empowerment was a Federal Government initiative implemented through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Department of Livestock Extension.
He said the programme was designed to provide women and youths with livestock startup assets and essential inputs needed to establish sustainable enterprises.
Danbaki expressed appreciation to the Minister for his presence and support and invited him to deliver his remarks and flag off the distribution of the livestock and accompanying inputs.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mohammed Ibrahim expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and the Ministry, saying the intervention had provided beneficiaries with an opportunity to own cattle and improve their economic wellbeing.
Another beneficiary, Muhammad Mudi Bogirado, described the programme as a significant opportunity to tackle unemployment among young people in the Northeast.
He assured that beneficiaries would put the animals to productive use through cattle rearing and other related activities to improve their livelihoods.
A female beneficiary, Mrs. Naliba Iframu Jp, said livestock rearing had always been her aspiration, adding that the support had given her an opportunity to turn her interest in animal husbandry into a productive enterprise capable of benefiting her family and community.
Dignitaries at the event included the Adamawa State Commissioner for Livestock and Agricultural Development, Hon. Usman H. Lamorde; National Coordinator, L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar; technical officials from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development; officials of EL-PRES at the national and Adamawa State levels; beneficiaries, participants and members of the press.
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The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development reaffirmed its commitment to expanding opportunities for women and youths to participate meaningfully in the livestock value chain while providing sustained extension, animal health and technical support to ensure the success and sustainability of the programme.