The Caritas Nigeria, on Thursday, empowered 250 farmers in Lagos State with inputs and implements to boost food production.
NAN reports that the inputs and implements were distributed at the agency’s 2026 Agriculture Inputs Flag-off, at Bapo, Badagry, Lagos.
Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that Caritas Nigeria is a specialised development and humanitarian agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, established in 2010 to fight poverty, disease and injustice.
The empowerment targets the poor and under served communities.
It had the theme, “Building Sustainable Livelihoods in Vibrant Community”.
The beneficiaries, mostly rural dwellers, had been trained by Caritas Nigeria on smart agriculture, organic fertiliser production, insticide making and animal husbandry.
The trainees are expected to train others in their communities.
They were given improved maize and okra seedlings as well as tools such as Knapsack sprayer, hoes, rainboots, grass cutting machines and irrigation equipment.
At the event attended by farmers, community leaders and royal fathers, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most. Rev. Adewale Martins, said that the Catholic Church had an obligation to care for people irrespective of their religions or Church denominations.
Martins was represented by the Dean of Badagry Deanery of the Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Benjamine Ekpo.
He said that empowering farmers with training, inputs and implements would motivate them to work harder and get out of poverty.
“It is my prayer that the seed will yield bountiful harvest for you to see enough to eat and make earnings from,” he said.
The Caritas Director of Humanitarian Services, Mrs Nkese Maria-Udongwo, advised the farmers to put to use the skills they acquired during training for improved farming.
She advised the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs and implements but use them for the desired purpose.
A beneficiary, Mr Desouza Jasper, said that he had been looking forward to benefiting from such empowerment.
Jasper thanked Caritas Nigeria for the gesture, pledging that he would use irrigation equipment for dry season farming.
Ashenews reports that the empowerment was supported by the Cornrad Hilton Foundation U.S.
