The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in partnership with Duetsche Gesellschaft fiir Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has supported 833 household farmers with irrigation farming inputs in Borno State.
According to the Council, the 13-year conflict and economic impact of COVID-19 have severely impacted access to livelihoods without basic needs of life.
NRC’s Media and Communication Coordinator, Samuel Jegede, stated yesterday (Wednesday), in Maiduguri that the household farmers are provided with irrigation farming inputs to restore their destroyed means of livelihoods.
He said that the support is funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Continuing, he said: “This support was to improve household and community resilience to market, conflict and climate induced shocks in Borno state.
“The farm and irrigation inputs comprise certified improved seeds, organic liquid fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, and personnel protective equipment and water pumps with hoses.”
He noted that this will enable the farmers to access water all year round to support their irrigation farming in the state.
Besides, he added that NRC also provided training and start-up cash grants to scale up income-generating activities.
According to him, about 840 households are engaged livestock production, processing and petty trading in household and food items to generate income.
“Some of the farmers were able to rent shops and buy tools and machines to utilize their existing skills in tailoring, carpentering and hairdressing,” he said.
In the livelihoods of farmers, he said that new jobs and employment opportunities are to be created for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to restore their lost livelihoods in the conflict.
“Income generating activities can help to improve economic opportunities for IDPs and their host’s communities,” said Tonny Villy, NRC’s Area Manager North Office.
He said that the NRC has provided food and livelihood support to 27,287 households in 2021.
Besides, he further disclosed that over 3.3 million people require early recovery and livelihood support, while 3.4 million people require food essentials in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
