The Bauchi State Government, through the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals, has disbursed N5.5m and 108 goats to 490 beneficiaries across the 20 local government areas of the state as part of efforts to promote self-reliance and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
The Director-General of the SDGs Office in the state, Lydia Gar, disclosed this on Saturday during the distribution exercise, describing the initiative as a major milestone in the empowerment of rural farmers in partnership with the African Union Development Agency and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
Gar said the intervention was aimed at supporting livelihoods, enhancing food security, and strengthening economic resilience among the less privileged.
She explained that the programme was part of broader empowerment efforts which had earlier included the training of SDGs desk officers, cash support to farmers, distribution of livestock, and provision of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, knapsack sprayers and seedlings.
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According to her, the ongoing profiling of smallholder farmers across all local government areas would further strengthen the sustainability of the initiative.
“Today, we are empowering beneficiaries with tangible resources that can transform lives and communities. This initiative is part of broader efforts to support livelihoods, enhance food security, and promote economic resilience.
“I therefore call on the beneficiaries to use these resources wisely, invest in their future and contribute to the growth of their communities,” she urged the beneficiaries.
The SDGs boss noted that 30 beneficiaries were selected from nine focus LGAs, while 20 beneficiaries were drawn from 11 non-focus LGAs, adding that officials of the agency would closely monitor the programme to ensure its sustainability.
She stressed that beneficiaries who received goats were expected to rear them for multiplication rather than sell them, so that more people could benefit in the future, while those given cash grants were advised to invest the funds in their businesses.
Some of the beneficiaries, Nasiru Shu’aibu and Amina Adamu, who spoke with our correspondent, expressed appreciation to the Bauchi State Government, the SDGs Office and the AUDA-NEPAD for the intervention.
They pledged to utilise the support judiciously in line with the objectives of the programme and commended the agencies for what they described as a timely and impactful gesture.
