By Abbas Bamalli
The Katsina State Government says it is working to support 3,610 women with goats, and 8,000 farmers with fertilizer and farming equipment.
The state’s Coordinator, Community Development Programme, Dr Kamaluddeen Kabir, confirmed this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Katsina.
According to him, 10 women in each of the 361 wards in the state will be given three she-goats and a male, to repay in kind, after producing, at least, four babies.
“The idea means that when the goats produce at least four babies, the women will return the babies, to be given to another woman to also benefit.
“Also, in each of the 361 wards, one reliable person will be identified to be given 50 goats for rearing, making 1,505 goats.
“By the time the goats produce 50 babies, he will bring them for another person to benefit,” he said .
Kabir said the programme was the policy number three proposed by the Katsina State Social Protection Forum, a group of Civil Society Organisations, supported by UNICEF.
He said the policy was aimed at ensuring that the government supported the people to boost their economy, especially in terms of labour intervention.
The coordinator further disclosed that Gov. Dikko Radda had also approved the distribution of 10 subsidised solar-powered water pumps to irrigation farmers in each of the wards, totaling 4,000.
“The solar-powered water pumps were procured by the government at the cost of N700,000 each, to be given to farmers at N100,000.
“The governor has also approved the distribution of 10 hand-powered tillers to the irrigation farmers across the wards, making it 4,000 tillers.
“The tillers were procured at over N1 million each, and will be given at N150,000 each to a group of five persons.
“Eight hand-powered tillers would be sold at subsidised price to the farmers, while two will be left at the community centre to be given out for rent.
“The money generated will be used to maintain the centre,” he said.
Kabir also confirmed that the state government had also approved the distribution of 100 bags of subsidised fertilizer to farmers across the 361 wards.
He further said that the fertilizer would be given out at the cost of N20,000 per bag to individual farmers, ranging from one to three bags for each farmer.
He said that a 15-member committee was set up in each ward that had the responsibility of ensuring judicious distribution of the support.
He said that the committee would organise a town hall meeting to get those who were eligible to benefit from the support, irrespective of their political affiliations.
He said that the aim was to ensure that the support got to the genuine beneficiaries, in order to enhance their production.
Kabir appealed to all the stakeholders to support the programme so that the items would go directly to those they were meant for.
He said that the programme was aimed at bringing development to the grassroots, based on their needs.
He also said that the community development programme was designed to ensure that every community played active role in shaping its development.