From Idris Khalid, Bauchi
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has distributed about 1,000 bags of maize flour to indigents and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Bauchi State as part of efforts to alleviate hunger and support vulnerable families.
The commission also distributed about 5,000 bags of NPK fertilizer to farmers and associations across the state to boost farming activities and enhance food production during this year’s rainy season.
Speaking on the distribution exercise yesterday, the NEDC Bauchi State Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Isiyaku, said the intervention was part of the commission’s continued efforts to improve the livelihoods of residents and support communities across the North-East.
He said the distribution of maize flour was aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by vulnerable households and assisting them with food supplies.
According to him, the fertiliser was provided to farmers and associations under the commission’s agricultural support programme to improve crop production and contribute to food security.
According to him, since the beginning of this year’s rainy season, the commission has supported farmers across Bauchi State with approximately 5,000 bags of fertilizer being handed over to trusted associations for onward distribution to members of the community while the remaining quantities were distributed directly to farmers.
“Our primary objective is to ensure that farmers have access to modern agricultural inputs to achieve a bountiful harvest and contribute to food supply in the state, North East and the nation at large.
“During the rainy season, there is hardly any input more important to a farmer than fertilizer. It is critical to achieving good yields, and we therefore hope for an abundant harvest,” he said.
Isyaku added that the interventions were part of NEDC’s broader mandate to revitalise Bauchi and other states in the North-East through projects and programmes aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.
He assured residents that the commission would continue to implement interventions designed to address the needs of vulnerable communities and support economic activities across the region.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Bauchi State Chairman of Internally Displaced Persons, Malam Buba Musa Shehu, expressed appreciation to NEDC for its continued support for IDPs in the state.
We are always grateful for the NEDC’s support. The maize flour distributed to our people at this particular time has truly been a great help to us,” he said.
Shehu, however, appealed to NEDC and other relevant agencies and organisations to provide IDPs with social amenities, food items and sustainable sources of livelihood to enable them to become self-reliant.
Some of the beneficiary farmers, including Saidu Abubakar and Safiya Musa Adamu, also commended the commission for providing the fertiliser at a critical period of the farming season.
Sa’idu said, “This fertilizer came just when I desperately needed it for my farm. Thank you very much.”
