By Awwal Umar Kontagora Niger Foods and Logistics Company Limited, in collaboration with the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
Niger Foods and Logistics Company Limited, in collaboration with the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), has launched the distribution of farm inputs to teachers as part of the Teachers' Farming Scheme initiated by the board.
According to the Chairman of NSUBEB, Malam Muhammad Baba Ibrahim, the project is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the welfare of teachers. He emphasized that when teachers' welfare is prioritized, it enables them to perform optimally.
Representing the Chairman at the event on Wednesday, held at the board's office premises, Hon. Abdulrazak Mu'azu Jikantoro, a member of the board, explained that the scheme was designed to provide teachers with an additional source of income, particularly since salary increases are not currently an option for teachers under NSUBEB. He expressed satisfaction that the scheme had become a reality despite initial skepticism, with many doubting its feasibility.
The Chairman further explained that the focus for this farming season is on Cowpea and Sesame due to the late start, but assured that other crops, as well as poultry, fish farming, and animal rearing, will be included in the next farming season.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs provided and not to sell them, adding that the board has established committees at both the board level and the zonal and local government levels to monitor each beneficiary's progress.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Adamu Akayago, represented by the treasurer of the union, Comrade Garba Sani, praised the initiative, pledging the union’s support for any program that improves the welfare of its members. He encouraged the beneficiaries to support the project and utilize the inputs effectively to achieve a bumper harvest.
Malam Umar Bala Ayawa, who provided an overview of the program, clarified that the project is a grant, not a loan, and is designed to provide teachers with an additional source of income, enabling them to secure better living conditions, such as housing and transportation, from the proceeds of the farming scheme.
Several beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the state government and NSUBEB for initiating the scheme, promising to make the most of the opportunity to improve their lives. Items distributed included a 25kg bag of seeds, two bags of NPK fertilizer, a bag of chemicals containing four varieties, and a sprayer for each Cowpea farmer. Sesame farmers received a 25kg bag of seeds, three bags of NPK fertilizer, two bags of Urea fertilizer, a bag of chemicals containing five varieties, and a sprayer.
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