Niger Govt Urges Beneficiaries of Ruga-Ruga Pepper Farm Initiative to Use Empowerment Tools Effectively
The Niger State Governor, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Bago, has urged beneficiaries of the Tinubu/Bago Ruga-Ruga Pepper Farm Initiative to effectively utilize the empowerment items provided to them.
The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Hon. Mohammed Nma Kolo, announced the graduation of 50 women farmers and the inclusion of 100 new members into the program.
He explained that the sewing machines and cash support distributed were intended to help women build sustainable livelihoods, enhance their economic independence, and reduce poverty in their communities.
Chairman of Niger Foods, Mr. Sammy Adigun, represented by Programme Coordinator, Engr. Bashir Tanko, also emphasized the importance of empowering rural women as a key strategy for fighting poverty. Tanko noted that pepper farming has become a major source of income for Fulani women during the rainy season, supplementing their traditional sales of cow milk, and highlighted the need to involve more women in dry season farming due to the success achieved.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the Bago Ruga-Ruga Group, Alhaji Hassan Shiroro, thanked the governor, Niger Foods, and the Emir of Minna, along with his chiefs, for the support and opportunities they provided to the women.
He reported that the group cultivated 21 hectares of land with various perishable crops, earning profits of over ₦2 million.
