By Sani Yarima 

Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures (AYGV), a non-governmental organization located in Taraba State, has launched a significant vaccination campaign for livestock in partnership with the Alliance for Sustainable Livestock covering the 16 LGAs of the state.

The CEO of AYGV, Hajiya Aisha Bashir Ardo, inaugurated the campaign in Jalingo, the capital city. 

The campaign aims to improve the health and productivity of livestock and promote sustainable livestock management practices, as well as contribute to the economic growth of the state’s agricultural sector.

Ardo said the goal is also to educate pastoralists on the importance of vaccinating their birds and other livestock against New Castle Disease for local chickens (NDI2) and Pest De Petit De Ruminant (PPR) for small ruminants, especially during the harmattan period when the animals are most vulnerable. 

She revealed that the organization has already trained over four thousand women and youth on the best practices for growing local birds in commercial quantities at home to improve their livelihoods.

According to Hajiya Aisha Bashir Ardo, the vaccine has been subsidized at a cost of N30-N50 per chicken by the organization to help the livestock farmers and promised to bring buyers to purchase the local chickens in large quantities from them.

She explained that they have trained over twenty livestock extension agents who will carry out the vaccination program based on farmers’ demand across the state.

The event drew participants, including women, youth, representatives of various Fulani groups, Community Leaders, and other stakeholders across the state.

Dr. Nathan Francis, a Deputy Director at the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who attended the program, described the campaign as a welcome development and urged pastoralists to take advantage of this opportunity.

He also revealed that the Ministry has appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to provide a mobile veterinary clinic to reach out to mobile livestock farmers.

“If we have a mobile veterinary clinic, we will be visiting places, especially on the market days across the sixteen LGAs to ease the movements of pastoralists in treating their animals. 

Therefore, what the AYGV is doing is the responsibility of the government but it has taken up the responsibility to fill the vacuum, which is a relief and commendable. Says Francis. 

Dr. Zubairu Adamu who spoke on the importance of animal vaccination emphasized the value of vaccination for pastoralists, underscoring the notion that prevention is superior to cure. 

Dr. Adamu commended the AYGV for its initiatives towards reducing unemployment and enlightening pastoralists on important matters.

In addition, he expressed gratitude towards the federal government for its intention to establish a ministry of livestock, which he sees as a significant development that will benefit livestock farmers in the same way that crop farmers are currently benefiting.

A representative of SMEDAN at the occasion, Mr. Nasir Mohammed Dattijo described the development as “a wonderful program that has created job opportunities for the youth.

According to Dattijo, the awareness campaign was apt as it affords the target audience the information they need to protect against livestock pandemics and other disease outbreaks.

During an interview, Hayatuddeen Bashir, an esteemed animal extension agent at AYGV, expressed profound gratitude towards the CEO, Hajiya Aisha Ardo, for her unwavering support in enhancing their professional development. 

Bashir further reaffirmed their unrelenting commitment to executing their duties with utmost diligence and professionalism, based on the training they have received.

Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures, the manufacturers of Ardo Yoghurt, are preparing to launch a new product called Pure Water. 

The new product is expected to be available in the market soon. 

The introduction of Pure Water is an indication of the company’s commitment to expanding its product line and meeting the demands of its customers.

Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures has a reputation for producing high-quality products, and Pure Water is expected to be no exception. 

The company has invested heavily in research and development to ensure that the product meets the highest standards of quality and safety. 

The launch of Pure Water is a significant milestone for Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures and is expected to contribute to the company’s growth and success in the market.

There were testimonies by some of the beneficiaries who were trained by the AYGV as well as goodwill messages from the various organizations, Associations, and Community Leaders. 

Recalled that the ASL and AYGV had some time back, trained over two thousand (2000) women and youth on Climate Smart Poultry Production in the State.

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.