Kano State Government in collaboration with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) on Friday kicked off the distribution of livelihood packages to members of farming communities across the State.
SOLACEBASE reports that more than 100 females drawn from neighbouring communities of Yan Tabarmi, Gada-biyu and Falgore town in Doguwa Local Government Area of the State were the first batch of the beneficiaries.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said the initiative is aimed at supporting rural women who are farmers in an attempt to achieve food security and economic sustainability.
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Gov Yusuf said, “As we distribute farming tools, fertilizers and seeds to this group of women, let us acknowledge the pivotal role that women play in ensuring food security and sustainability. Our administration is committed to supporting women in all parts of life, especially in rural areas where contributions often go unrecognized.
“Very soon our administration will embark on massive women empowerment in all the 44 Local Government Areas in addition to creating economic empowerment our government has prioritised the safety and welfare of women.”
In a remark, Kano ACReSAL, Project coordinator, Dr Dahir Muhammad Hashim said the event underscores the shared commitment of the Kano State Government towards fostering sustainable land use among the people through collaborative efforts with the Federal Government and support from the World Bank.
Hashim said, “The evident eagerness of the Kano State Government to explore opportunities that facilitate environmental conservation and promotion has led to its involvement in the ACReSAL project.
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“The project aims to increase the adoption of Sustainable Landscape Management Practices in the targeted watershed in Northern Nigeria and to strengthen Nigeria’s long-term framework for integrated climate change management.”
He added that the event was conceived under component A3 of the ACReSAL project – Special Ecosystem: Forest Management which focuses on maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem to benefit the environment’s critical functions in dryland management.
“Approximately 350 individuals from these communities, a significant number being women, will benefit from the livelihood packages provided today, including irrigation farming inputs and packages for animal husbandry.
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“With unwavering government support for the project’s success in Kano State, Kano-ACReSAL has achieved several milestones, including securing ₦300 million in counterpart funding, establishing a bond with the State Steering Committee (SSC) and project-affected communities, identifying 12 sites to restore 10.027 hectares of degraded land, and obtaining clearance and approval of engineering designs by the World Bank for erosion control sites and water conservation structures,” he added.