The Niger State government is set to distribute 12,000 banana suckers to 3,000 farming households across three pilot local government areas in the state.
The local governments selected for this pilot scheme are Bosso, Chanchaga, and Paikoro. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the state government and the Niger Food’s One Hectare, One Family Project.
Dr. Mathew Ahmed, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, shared details about this ambitious project, which ultimately aims to provide one million banana seedlings to farmers throughout the state on Tuesday.
This announcement followed a strategic meeting regarding the distribution of banana suckers, held at the ministry’s headquarters in Minna.
Dr. Ahmed stated that the project is on the verge of being launched by the acting Governor, Yakubu Garba, and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Salihu Musa Bawa Bosso.
The initiative is designed to provide farmers with high-yielding, market-friendly banana seedlings for homestead cultivation. This approach is expected to enhance food and nutrition security at the family level.
Furthermore, Dr. Ahmed disclosed that the ministry has established a 15-member committee tasked with developing the modalities for the successful implementation of the program.
He added that as more seedlings become available, other local government areas within the state will also be integrated into the program.
The ultimate goal of the project is to distribute banana suckers to a targeted 250,000 families, thereby improving their nutrition.
Additionally, the sale of banana fruits to off-takers will support the establishment of factories for value chain enhancement and addition, contributing to the state’s economic growth.
