SMEDAN Trains Over 80 Bauchi Women Farmers In Agribusiness

Ayuba Maffi

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has on Friday trains over eighty (80) Bauchi women farmers in Agribusiness.

Mr. Olawale Fasanya who is the Director General of the agency represented by the North East Zonal coordinator, Alhaji Mahmood Isa, said the programme was initiated under ‘Women in Self Employment Programme (WISE-P)’ of the agency with particular focus on women who are into farming and agribusiness (agro value chain) production.

Olawale Said that a lot of women are into farming and many are willing to take up farming or Agri-business as a means of livelihood and self-employment.

However, they are limited in progress because they do not have the requisite skills and finance required to carry on successfully and even access markets, hence, the introduction of the programme by SMEDAN.

“The programme is designed to provide entrepreneurship training, vocational training, empowerment with common facilities and delivery of business development service to 80 participants per state across six selected states for phase one.

“Today, the first phase of the programme is commencing simultaneously in six states of Osun, Ebonyi, Katsina, Bauchi, Ekiti and Kwara.

“The WISE-P is designed basically to promote self-reliance amongst women and to empower them to achieve improved productivity and sustainability in businesses in terms of crop farming and agro- processing along the value chains.

“It is also to boost production of raw materials for industrial use,development because it is said that when you train a woman, you train a nation and when you empower a woman, you have liberated the nation,” said the DG.

He further said that one of the objectives of the programme was to facilitate and link women farmers to resources required to enhance their farming businesses so as to make it a sustainable occupation.

According to Fasanya said that the programme was also to expose the women farmers to practical hands-on training on the use of modern farming techniques as well as to build their capacities and inculcate the principles of value addition to farm produce.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir, expressed their appreciation to the Federal government of Nigeria and the SMEDAN for the kind gesture.

Hajiya Zainab promise to the knowledge acquired from the agency and make good use of it for the betterment of themselves and others.