The Adamawa State Government has reiterated its commitment towards improving Agricultural Enterprenurship activities to attain food security in the state.

The State Commissioner for Enterprenurship Development, Mr James Iliya stated this at a roundtable discussion organised for enterprenurs by Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and Enterprenurship held at Federal Secretariat Yola.

He explained that the state government has introduced many policies and programmes to improve agriculture and enterprenurship development in the state.

While appreciating the SSA to the Governor for his initiative, Mr James appealed to participants of the meeting to bring imputs that will promote agricultural Enterprenurship in the state.

Also Speaking, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Jatau Finchiwa represented by the Director Agricultural Services, Mrs Edna Azura lauded the SSA of the Governor, Alhaji Usman Abubakar for organizing the meeting.

He stressed the need for concerted efforts to improving enterprenurship development in the state.

In his Presentation on SBS Business and Enterprenurship model, Malam Ibrahim Bello estimated the total loss in investment in failed skills acquisition and enterprenurship programs in Adamawa between twenty fifteen and twenty nineteen to one point six billion naira.

He expressed concern that the amount will have been used to support more successful programmes and make a real difference in the lives of the people of Adamawa.

Malam Bello attributed the failure of the programs to lack of proper planing and implementation, lack of sustainablity, lack of targeting and access to finance among others.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and Enterprenurship, Alhaji Usman Abubakar expressed optimism that the gathering will bring strategic reforms to both enterprenurship and agric sectors.

He urged the participants to share useful experience and innovations for cordial working relationship.

In a vote of thanks, a converner of the meeting, Comrade Adamu Muhammad stressed the need for Government to change school curriculum to reflect living standard of people.

COV. MBM

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, on Monday expressed concern over huge gender disparities in Agriculture in the Country.

Kyari gave the Lamentations at the one day Workshop on strategies to achieve the fall out of the debriefing by the Honourable of women affairs on the outcome of the 67th UNCSW March 2023 New York for women farmers from 19 Northern States in Kano.

The Minister said huge gender disparities abound in the Agricultural sector as Smallholder farmers are predominantly women, women are the gatekeeper of food security.

“However , they have limited access to Agricultural inputs such as land, funds extension services, fertilizer information,fertilizer, seeds and voice among others. He said

Kyari, represented by State Director of the Ministry in Kano, Mallam Isa Hotoro said the workshop should be seen as the Ministry is committed towards mainstreaming gender in Agriculture.

“Through the instrumentality of the National Gender Policy on Agriculture with the 11 objectives.

“The FG have political will driven by the President Bola Tinubu in his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda that I also see that hope and commitment in him when he declared the food emergency in the country,”he said.

On her part, Mrs Ifeoma Anyanwu, Deputy Director Head of Gender, Unit Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the aimed of the workshop to Cascade the outcome of 76th 67th UNCSW March 2023 New York

“The outcome of the Commission’s consideration of the priority theme during its 67th session took the form of agreed conclusions, negotiated by all Member States.

“The Commission on the Status of Women adopted agreed conclusions on “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” on 17 March 2023,”

On her presentation, she harps on the needs of mainstreaming gender in Agriculture and encouraging tackling food Security in the country.

“Gender mainstreaming strategies, incorporating both gender integrated approaches in existing ‘universal’ (or all-inclusive) policies and programmes, and gender-targeted or focused work to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment within specific sectors such as Agriculture,” she said.

Anyanwu urged the participants to step down the knowledge down to the women farmers in their states.

A participant at the workshop, Mrs Yagana Abba Gumsu, S S A to Governor Baba gana Zulum on Women Affairs expressed her appreciation to the Ministry and the Minister for considering women farmers’ plight in food Security.

She said the training would go a long way to boost women Farmers technical knowledge on farming and gender mainstreaming.

Another participant Hajiya Rabi Ibrahim, Kano State Coordinator Association of Women in trade and Agriculture (AWITA) commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for the empowerment.

She said the knowledge acquired during the workshop would be escaded among their members in Kano state, saying knowledge sharing is key in ending the food crisis in the country.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has trained 60 hibiscus farmers on post harvest handling techniques and integrated pest disease management as well empowered 100 farmers each with farm inputs in Bauchi State.

Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, Director Federal Department of Agriculture, stated this at the opening ceremony of the workshop on Wednesday in Bauchi

He said the programme would assist in reducing post-harvest losses and as well as the adoption improve production integrated pest and disease management (IPM) by the farmers.

“At least 100 farmers were empowered with a park of farm inputs that comprises crop growth enhancer, improved seeds and pesticides.

Our correspondent reports that the Workshop is with the theme “Adoption of Improved Production Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM) and Post Harvest Handling Techniques,”

Abubakar,represented by Mrs Oje-Imoje Linda of Horticulture Division FMAFS, said hibiscus is effective for treatment of common cold, prevention of constipation, weakness, healthy pregnancy, and maintains healthy teeth and gums.

“Possesses anticancer and anti-hypertensive property, lowers blood sugar levels, and has anti-depress properties, slowing down aging as it contains anti-aging properties leaves aids in detoxification of the body and reduction of cholesterol levels” Abubakar

According to him, the sterling qualities and benefits of this crop underscored the reasons why the Ministry has been promoting its Value Chain since 2019.

“Thus, the objectives of Hibiscus value chain are to Promote sustainable production, processing and marketing of roselle in Nigeria to create wealth and job,

“Achieve self-sufficiency in domestic consumption and export to generate foreign exchange and increase local consumption to optimise the utilisation of its myriads of health benefits.

The Director urged farmers to ask some pertinent questions about what contribution Hibiscus would make to Nigeria’s development, welfare of its people, its resources, environments and the security in general.

Earlier, State Director, FMAFS Mr Daniel Abarshi said the objective of the workshop was to encourage self-reliance, self-employment, and productivity among farmers.

He stressed the need to bring together relevant farmers to create awareness on potential of the crop and policy implementation strategy

“To develop the industry, harmonise the coordination and operation of the sub sector participation and chart the way forward for the development of the industry,” he said.

Abarshi urged the trainees to step down what they have learnt to others in their respective areas.

One of the trainees, Mr Mustapha Shehu, state Chairman Hibiscus Farmers and marketers Association of Nigeria commended FMAFS for sensitisation of farmers on hibiscus farming.

He assured that they would make best use of what they have learnt and train other farmers in their respective communities.