By Oboh Linus, Lafia
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in collaboration with the Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) has trained 45 women and youths on community oil palm nursery establishment and briquette production in Nasarawa State.
Mr Ango Adamu, Co-ordinator, African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) Project, Nasarawa State, while speaking at the 3 Day training in Akwanga Local Government said it aimed at empowering the participants to take locally-led action to combat climate change.
Adamu who is also the Executive Secretary, YMCA Mada Hills noted that with the addition of the remaining 4 LGAs, AACJ had successfully supported the total of 13 LGAs in oil palm nursery establishment and briquette production in Nasarawa State.
“If you recall we started implementing the AACJ project being supported by Oxfam in 2021, and we are promoting community-led climate change action, in which briquette production and community nursery establishment are some of the key focal activities.
“So, in the past 3 years we have supported about 22 nurseries establishment in 18 communities in 9 local governments, Graciously today we are completing the remaining 4 LGAs which include Nasarawa, Toto, Karu, and Awe respectively.
“There has been agitation from these LGA that we have excluded them in the previous trainings, so we made a case with our donor and they graciously allowed us to include them in the training,” he said.
Ango said he was impressed with the training as practical demonstrations were carried out at the nursery site for the participants to have a clear understanding.
“We are also happy that the people who facilitated the training are our previous trainees and they have done very well. It is part of the sustainability to use local content,” he said.
Dr Kenneth Akpan, AACJ project Coordinator for Oxfam in Nigeria, represented by Raji Bello, Finance Coordinator, Oxfam, urged the participants to take the training seriously to better their lives as the project winds up this year.
He enjoined the participants to use the knowledge of the training to take locally led actions in their communities to mitigate climate change as part of the sustainability of the project in Nasarawa State.
Mr Akinola Omolola, National General Secretary of YMCA, Nigeria harped on the reality of climate change and charged the participants to take the training seriously.
“Nasarawa State usually hot but for some years now is hotter than what it used to be, so also other places, this is more reason we must all play our part in our own little way to help mitigate the impact of climate change,’ he charged.
Mr Magson Anthony, a Horticulturist and Climate change Enthusiast, who facilitated the training on Community Nursery Establishment and Management said the participants have demonstrated the capacity to grow and manage nursery.
Miss Loria James, a Briquette production Facilitator who was previously trained by AACJ said the training would enable the participants to produce briquette charcoal without falling trees.
Some participants who spoke during the training, Habida Usman and Dauda Kelau both thanked the organisers, noting that they have learned a lot to carry out step down training in their communities.
The 45 participants who were mostly women and youths were selected from 4 communities in 4 LGAs, Maramara Community in Nasarawa, Shafa Community in Toto, Mahanga Community in Awe, and Masaka Community in Karu LGAs respectively.
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