By Linus Ogbu, Lafia
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has urged government at all levels to support small scale women and youths farmers to achieve food security and sustainability in the country.
Mr Ango Adamu, Executive Secretary, YMCA Mada Hills made this appeal at a one day agricultural show organised by YMCA in collaboration with Evangelisches Jugendwerk in Wurttemberg (EJW) Germany in Lafia.
According to him, small scale women and youths farmers are the food basket of the nation, adding that they are the ones feeding the people in the country.
Adamu expressed regret that small scale farmers were neglected in terms of empowerment in the areas of modern farming techniques, farm implements, inputs, credit facility and grant by various governments.
He said it was on this basis that YMCA with the support of EJW Germany was doing a lot of capacity building trainings and empowerment services to ensure that these set of farmers increase their food production to improve their socio economic status.
Adamu said the agricultural show was aimed at providing an opportunity to small scale farmers to interact with one another, get some income from sales and convey their challenges to the government.
“This is a locally led event to promote the activities of small scale women and youths farmers who are the real farmers in Nigeria, they are the people feeding this country but they are the most neglected,” he said.
Dr Stefan Hoffman, Leader of the EJW Germany’s delegation, said EJW Germany has partnered YMCA Mada Hills and Northern Zone for more than 50 years to empower women and young people in Nigeria.
Hoffman said he was impressed and proud of Nigerian farmers that brought so many goods to the agric show and had wonderful time to interact amongst themselves, sharing ideas, development as well interacting with farmers brought from Germany.
He said he did not agree with people who said there was no hope for Nigerian youths, noting that they saw a lot of hope for young and women farmers trying their best to make a future when his team visited communities.
Hoffman, however, said he noticed infrastructural, security and emigration problems in Nigeria, adding that these problems could be solved with strong politicians in place for young people so that their efforts are not wasted.
“On the other hand, we need social cohesion, where people come together and trying to work as a group, as long as people come together under common objective there is power in this group.
“And so, this is where I see the future for young people, farmers, savings group as well as in cooperative and association,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs Jumai Yohanna, Chairperson, Nasarawa state chapter of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) said they have been neglected by both the state and local local government, as no support was given to them.
She said that small scale women farmers in Nasarawa state has faced with myriad of challenges ranging from lack of access road, insecurity, lack of access to farm implements and inputs, credit facility and grant and low yield due to climate change impacts on soil.
She appealed to the state government to support small scale women farmers with farm implements, inputs and constructing access roads in the hinterlands to enable them transport their produce.
On their parts, Commissioner For Trade, Industry and Investment, Abubakar Zanwa, represented by assistant director, Mrs Catherine Bako, and the Director of climate in the Ministry of Environment, Angbashim Ishaku, represented by Scientific Officer, Hajara Ahmed both commended YMCA and partners for the initiative and pledged support.
The YMCA 2023 agricultural show featured cultural dance, and awards were given to different categories of farmers ranging from livestock, crop to processing to encourage and promote their farming activities.
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