The Federal Government, in collaboration with the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), has trained and empowered no fewer than 250 smallholder farmers in Ogun State.

The training and empowerment programme facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in conjunction with the NPRGS, was aimed at alleviating poverty among Nigerians.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Temitope Fadeshemi, said the gesture was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle poverty and boost food security in the country.

Fadeshemi said this at the opening programme of the verified and validated beneficiaries of the NPRGS in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Thursday, February 8, 2024.

Fadeshemi, who was represented at the event by the Ogun Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Patience Ayo-Ayayi, noted that the programme had been replicated to other farmers across the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said the level of poverty in the country was alarming, stressing that an estimated population of 88.4 million people Nigerians were living in extreme poverty.

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He added that the Federal Government was making conscious efforts to address the situation through various initiatives.

Fadeshemi, however, admonished the participating farmers to prioritise their roles in shaping the trajectory of the nation’s agricultural success with the empowerment.

Also speaking at the event, the Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, commended the Federal Government and the NPRGS for the programme aimed at ensuring food security.

Owotomo said the empowerment support would boost agriculture and further complement the effort of the Ogun State Government in increasing food production and security.

He, therefore, appealed to the farmers to utilise and make use of the inputs given to them judiciously to boost food production.

This, he said, would encourage the government to continue its support to farmers.

Morounranti Ogundipe and Taiwo Abraham, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, appreciated the federal and state governments for the support.

They added that the support would improve their productivity, increase their income, and boost food production.

The Star