By Sule Aliyu, Bauchi
Oxfam Nigeria, Bauchi State office carried out a peaceful rally and an Agricultural show/exhibition of agricultural commodities within Bauchi metropolis, as part of efforts to mark the 2017 World Food Day and Grow Week.
The activities were organised under the Livelihoods and Nutritional Empowerment (LINE) project being implemented by Oxfam in the state with funding from the Global Affairs Canada (GAG).
The occasion started at the multipurpose indoor sports hall Bauchi before moving through the streets, with the rally ending at the BSADP premises where an agricultural show and exhibition of agricultural commodities was carried out later in the day to mark the Day.
Speaking at the BSADP venue of the event, Dr. Francis Saayinzat, the Project Team Leader, Oxfam LINE Project, Bauchi State, explained that the rally was to mobilise the general public and create great awareness about the World Food Day.
Saayinzat said the match through streets in Bauchi was also to sensitise the people in on the need for all stakeholders to strategise actions and commitments against HUNGER and poverty while the exhibition, was to showcase and exhibit agricultural products, abundant investment opportunities in the agriculture value chain and skills endowed in the rural farmers.
Speaking on this year’s World Food Day with the theme: Change the future of Migration, Invest in Food Security and Rural Development, Saayinzat said that Oxfam was working with local partners and local communities in more than 90 countries to overcome poverty and justice.
He explained that the LINE Project in Bauchi State is a 60-month initiative implemented by Oxfam to promote market based agriculture-driven economic growth and improve living conditions for 10, 000 rural farming households, 60 per cent of who are women.
“It is being implemented in the six local government areas of Gamawa, Shira, Darazo, Ningi, Alkaleri and Tafawa Balewa,” he said, adding that LINE focuses on value chains namely maize, sorghum, sesame, diary and meat (beef, mutton and goat”.
He said that the project was expected to increase yields in selected Livestock and crop value chains for 10, 000 rural farmer households, improve agricultural business-enabling environment as well as improve nutrition for vulnerable farmer households, especially women and children.
He said that it was strengthening the capacity of key local partners, through improving their skills in value chain interventions and institutional capacities, analytical and lobbying, advocacy skills and capacity in monitoring, evaluation and learning system to document impacts.
“World Food Day was a day of action against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come to together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our life time. It was first established in 1979, and today it has been observed in almost every country by millions of people,” he said.
He observed that in Bauchi State, although 85 per cent of the population is agrarian, the budget allocation to agriculture over the years has not been more than seven per cent.
“This contributes to making agriculture unattractive especially to the youths,” he observed “Again, women constitutes over 60 per cent of the agricultural work force, adding that with the intervention of LINE project, about 73 per cent of women are now involved in agriculture.
“Through LINE Project, 3, 165 farmers have been given farm inputs worth N79 million and the project hopes to provide inputs to an additional 7, 000 households. The beneficiaries have gone through trainings on modern farm technologies as well as improved nutritional options,” Saayinzat said.
In his contribution, the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State ministry of Agriculture Rural Development, Dr. Bala Musa Lushi, commended the Oxfam LINE Project for a Weldon job in the state and expressed optimism that it will improve farming activities in the state and address food security problem.
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