Caritas Nigeria distributes agricultural inputs to 800 farmers

By Rukayat Adeyemi

Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (Caritas Foundation) has distributed various agricultural inputs to 800 selected farmers across Ikorodu and Epe area of Lagos State.

Ms Nkese Udongwo, Director, Humanitarian Services, Caritas Nigeria, on Saturday at the Distribution flag-off ceremony in both communities, said 400 farmers benefitted in Epe community and 400 also in Ikorodu.

Udongwo stated that the project was targeted to affect 20,000 persons, calculated as five persons per household in 4,000 vulnerable households.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Caritas Nigeria agricultural and livelihood project, supported by CONRAD N. Hilton Foundation was tagged: Building Sustainable Livelihoods In Vibrant Community (B-SLiC) project.

Among the agricultural inputs distributed were: maize, jute, pepper, organic liquid fertilizer, jute, cassava,tomatoes, okro, urea and the organic insecticide knapsack sprayer

She noted that the project would run for two years in Lagos and Ekiti states, while the intervention was based strictly for people in need and unbiased to religion, ethnicity, nationality or ideology.

The Caritas director explained that farmers who benefitted from the projects, had been trained before hand on climate-smart agriculture before being empowered with the agriculture input.

Udongwo said the beneficiaries were selected through a vulnerability screening organised by Caritas to determine farmers who fell under households that are on poor, boarder and unacceptable lines.

According to her, the other components of the project included animal husbandary and vocational skills to empower unemployed youths.

She said that it would also equip them to set up their shops and be self-employed and also become an employer of labour.

“The beneficiaries were trained on good agronomic practices(GAP), production and application of organic NPK, Urea fertilizers, organic pesticides and herbicides.

Others, she said, were production of animal feed and treatment with locally available material.

“The essence of the programme is to ensure that people are brought out of poverty, become self-sustained, increase their household income and by ripple effect, improve the economy of their community,” she said.

In her goodwill message, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Olatokunbo Emokpae, expressed her satisfaction with the Caritas project and lauded the foundation on its effort to empower the vulnerable in the state.

Emokpae was represented by Mr Emmanuel Audu, Director, Agricultural Training Institute, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture.

She said the Caritas project was geared towards facilitating expanded farm productivity, improved livelihood for the beneficiaries and food security for the state.

“I urge the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs by planting the seeds, nurturing them to increase productivity, harvesting them for income to sustain their families,” she added.

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Also, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, Alara of Ilara Kingdom in Epe, lauded Caritas Nigeria for choosing his community farmers as beneficiaries from the project.

Ogunsanwo, represented by his wife, Olori Bolanle Ogunsanwo, expressed hope that the foundation would sustain the project.

She said that the foundation would also embark on others of this nature to help the vulnerable in the community.

“Many of our people need such programme to improve their lives and families. Two to three batches of such support would go a long way to help the poor among us.

“I advise the beneficiaries to see this as a great opportunity and as such, take advantage of it to grow their business.

“Do not sell the items given to you, plant the seed and invest the return on your farmland and use the profit to sustain your families,” he said.

In her address, Mrs Jumoke Enaibe, Representative, Community Project Implementation Committee (CPIC) of Caritas at Baiyeku in Ikorodu, lauded the foundations for their unwavering commitment to enhancing agricultural productivity, food security and livelihoods.

Enaibe said the initiative of the B-SliC Project had been instrumental in transforming agricultural landscapes and empowering communities to thrive.

“As CPIC member under Caritas Nigeria, B-SLiC project, we are ready to support Conrad Hilton Foundation in its noble mission.

“We believe that by working together, we can leverage our collective expertise and resources to drive even greater impact, reach more farmers and advance the cause of sustainable agriculture,” she stated.

In his remark, Rev. Father Emmanuel Anyawu of St.Thomas Catholic Church, Baiyeku in Ikorodu, thanked Caritas for reaching out to the vulnerable as a way of preaching good news of the gospel.

Anyanwu advised the beneficiaries to take a cue from the scripture and not sell or consume the items given to them but plant it, to multiply and reproduce for them to earn a living from.

Responding, a beneficiary, Mr Akinola Ayoade,  appreciated Caritas for the laudable project it designed to enlighten the vulnerable farmers and also empower them.

Ayoade advised his contemporaries to make use of the inputs given to them judiciously and also give back to the society when God blesses them.

Caritas Nigeria is the development arm of the Catholic Church in Nigeria and by extension,a member of the Global Confederation of Caritas organizations, Caritas Internationalis.

(NAN)