The Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has empowered 50,000 farmers with agricultural inputs and other support items to boost farming and improve livelihoods in northern states.
The beneficiaries are drawn from Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi states.
The Managing Director of the Authority, Dr Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi, presented the items to the beneficiaries on Tuesday in Kano at an event attended by various farmers’ groups.
The items distributed included solar-powered water pumping machines fitted with three 300-watt solar panels, petrol-powered water pumps, harrowing machines and other agricultural support materials.
Sulaiman-Bichi said the intervention was aimed at assisting farmers to improve irrigation activities, expand cultivation and enhance agricultural productivity.
He said the programme was part of efforts to support various categories of people, particularly those engaged in agriculture, by providing them with the necessary tools to improve their livelihoods.
The managing director therefore urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the items and ensure that the intervention translated into improved productivity and better livelihoods.
A cross-section of beneficiaries interviewed expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing it as a significant boost to their agricultural activities and livelihoods.
Musa Abubakar, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, commended the initiative of the authority, saying it would go a long way in improving their productivity and livelihoods.
He assured that the beneficiaries were determined to make judicious use of the items to achieve the set goals and objectives.
